Lyon had undergone a period of considerable evolution. Experiencing an economic "golden age" driven by the silk industry, the city saw massive urban expansion and the beginnings of industrialization. Its population, often at the vanguard of republican and anticlerical movements, rose in revolt on several occasions.
From a medieval city to an industrial city
During the first two-thirds of the 19th century, the city of Lyon was profoundly transformed. This was driven both by the elites, who created large bourgeois districts for themselves, and by the expansion of the silk and industrial sectors, which brought in a massive working-class population. During this period, Lyon expanded beyond its ancient walls, spreading toward Les Brotteaux, La Guillotière, and Vaise.
Demographic growth and immigration
Estimating the population of Lyon during this period remains difficult because census methods were inconsistent; certain categories—such as soldiers, seminarians, and hospital patients—were either counted "en bloc," estimated, or ignored entirely.
Overall, the population grew significantly during the 1800s, 1810s, and 1820s, stagnated during the 1830s, and rose sharply again thereafter. At the turn of the century, Lyon emerged diminished from the revolutionary turmoil, having lost 20,000 inhabitants. The population stood at 88,000 in 1800 and reached 94,000 in the census of 1804. Under the First Empire, demographic growth was strong, reaching 121,000 people by 1812. Subsequently, the population reached approximately 150,000 in 1827 and 178,000 in 1847.
Comparing the mid-century population of 178,000 to the pre-Revolution figure of 150,000 might suggest slow growth compared to national trends. However, while the commune of Lyon itself grew moderately, its suburbs experienced a massive influx. In fifty years, Vaise grew from 2,200 to 7,850 residents; La Croix-Rousse from 6,000 to 28,700; and La Guillotière from 6,000 to 41,500. Thus, the Lyon metropolitan area as a whole experienced growth comparable to other major European industrial cities.
In 1852, the city annexed the three communes of Vaise, La Croix-Rousse, and La Guillotière, bringing the total population to 234,531. Subsequent censuses recorded 255,960 in 1856; 297,251 in 1861; 300,761 in 1866; 301,307 in 1872; and 321,596 in 1876. During the Second Empire, population growth occurred mainly outside the city limits in communes that would become the 6th arrondissement of Lyon, Villeurbanne, Vénissieux, Vaulx-en-Velin, Bron, and Oullins. During the same period, central districts—particularly the Peninsula and Croix-Rousse—saw their populations decline.
The vast majority of this increase was due to immigration. In the 1820s, only 40% of the city's population were natives of Lyon. By the 1850s, less than 30% of the working-class population was born in the city. Most immigrants came from neighboring departments: Ain, Isère, Savoie, and Loire. Non-French residents accounted for only 12% of men and 3% of women.
Urban transformations
General developments Within the original city limits, large spaces were freed during the Revolution by the sale of church property.Most of these belonged to the Church of Ainay. These areas were rapidly built upon from the start of the new century. Silk workers, needing to house new and very large looms, migrated from the Saint-Jean and Saint-Paul districts to new buildings specifically designed for this activity in the 1830s and 1840s, notably on the Croix-Rousse hill.
It was under the Second Empire that most major urban renovations took place. The Prefect of the Rhône and Mayor of Lyon, Claude-Marius Vaïsse,The primary architects of these transformations were City Chief Architect T. Desjardins and Roadway Chief Engineer G. Bonnet. undertook extensive transformations, similar to Haussmann in Paris, for reasons of both prestige and security. He relied on the chief engineer of roadways, Gustave Bonnet, and the architect Benoît Poncet, who completed the Rue Impériale (now Rue de la République) in the 1850s.
The Peninsula was pierced by two wide avenues (Rue Impériale and Rue de l'Impératrice, now Rue du Président-Édouard-Herriot), bridges were renovated (with tolls removed), and quays were raised to protect new districts from the flooding of the Rhône and Saône. The Parc de la Tête d'Or was created, and railway stations were established in Perrache, Brotteaux, La Guillotière, and Vaise. The left bank of the Rhône developed considerably, with buildings lining major avenues and many bourgeois houses set in green spaces. This part of Lyon experienced two major surges of urbanization in 1853 and 1862.
Finally, a fortification belt was begun in 1830 and built throughout the 19th century, intended to defend the city against foreign attacks.
Communication routes Mayor Fay de Sathonay inaugurated the Tilsitt Bridge in 1808 and completed the naming and numbering of the city's streets in 1810.
Street lighting At the beginning of the 19th century, Lyon's streets were lit by lanterns managed by a company led by M. Fréquent. Until 1826, the streets were lit only from September 15 to April 1; thereafter, they were lit year-round. In 1827, the municipality invested in streetlights using Argand lamps (quinquets), which provided better illumination.
In 1827, a first trial of gas lighting was established in Rue Tupin-Rompu and the Passage de l'Argue. In 1834, the Compagnie d'éclairage par le gaz pour la ville de Lyon was created. Its factory was located in the new Perrache district and became known as the Compagnie de gaz Perrache. It signed a convention with the municipality in 1835 to light the entire city. In 1856, Prefect Vaïsse signed a new 47-year convention, establishing a monopoly for the company, which allowed it to charge high rates to residents.
Neighborhood developments Developments across Lyon's neighborhoods were uneven; while central zones received significant attention from authorities, other areas experienced varied transformations.
Fourvière The first cemetery outside the city limits was opened at Loyasse in 1808.
A political life under surveillance
From 1800 to 1870, political life in Lyon was tightly controlled and expressed only within restricted frameworks. The State feared outbreaks of Lyonnais violence and maintained its institutions through the prefect, a compliant municipality, and a vigilant police force. The two main political trends at the beginning of the period were counter-revolution and moderate liberalism. It was not until the reign of Napoleon III that the far-left managed to exist politically.
First Empire
The seizure of power by Bonaparte was perceived favorably as the end of a dark period and a return to civil peace. Upon stopping in Lyon on June 28, 1800, following the victory at Marengo, Bonaparte laid the first stone for the renovation of the facades of Place Bellecour, promising to work toward the return of the city's prosperity. Regarding civil peace, he undertook energetic measures to combat both banditry and the threat of rebellion.
The pacification of Lyon At the end of the revolutionary period, banditry was endemic in the Lyon region. Attacks on mail coaches or isolated individuals were frequent. This task was the priority of the generals who successively headed the 19th military region: Moncey, Gilly, and Duhesme. The situation gradually improved, and by the mid-1800s, the department's roads were much safer. This recurring military presence also facilitated the calming of the city itself.
The police commissioners At the same time, an informant network was established by the first two commissioners general of police in Lyon: Noël (1800–1801) and Louis François Esprit Dubois (1801–1809). This well-remunerated network—consuming up to 20% of their budget—extended far beyond the city, maintaining permanent links with all major surrounding towns. They also benefited from the increasingly complete and reliable police files organized by Fouché, allowing them to better identify travelers. Gradually, in the eyes of the central authorities, Lyon lost some of its sulfurous reputation as it became better known.
The commissioners general were appointed directly by the Emperor and received comfortable salaries in large cities like Lyon. Installed in the city hall, the commissioner had a general secretary, a private secretary, and several offices employing about twenty people in departments for passports, military affairs, and minor road inspections. Commissioner Dubois modernized the Lyon police, relying on Ancien Régime practices while introducing innovations. Paid by the city but independent of the prefect, Dubois came into conflict over his remuneration with the mayor appointed in 1805, Nicolas Fay. He left Lyon in 1809 to become the director general of police in Tuscany, which had just been annexed.
Assessment The return of prosperity facilitated the support of a large part of the population for the new regime, though the central power maintained close surveillance of Republican and Royalist circles. This support was visible in the acceptance of military conscription and the raising of the National Guard, where resistance was much lower than in the countryside.
Political life Under the Empire, all city authorities depended on the central power and were under the supervision of the prefect. In 1800, the city was divided into three districts with three appointed mayors: Parent, Saint-Rousset, and Bernard-Charpieu. Reunified in 1805, it was then led by Fay de Sathonay, followed by André d'Albon. The archbishop, the Emperor's uncle, was Joseph Fesch. The press, like all clubs and societies of notables, was monitored. The only early form of protest came from Catholics, who used the secrecy of congregations to pass information and pamphlets, reactivating the counter-revolutionary networks established by Linsolas. These were uncovered in 1811.
Implementation of new institutions (1800) The new Constitution of the Year VIII, approved by plebiscite at the end of 1799 following the November coup, established the Consulate. This regime implemented a political system of restricted suffrage and central appointments for major posts. While a full prosopographical study of the notables who took administrative functions has not been conducted, the most important figure in the city and department was the prefect, who replaced the old departmental administration at the city hall.
Municipality of Fay de Sathonay (1805–1812) Fay de Sathonay hailed from the Lyonnais bourgeoisie and quickly sought to make the city hall the center of local political power, leading to occasional tensions with the prefect or the police commissioner. He attempted to revive the Ancien Régime practice of glorifying the sovereign to extract local advantages, particularly financial ones, by celebrating every victory or major event of the reign. Sathonay launched a project for an imperial palace in the Perrache district and a statue of the Emperor on Place Bellecour. Neither gained the favor of the authorities, and the financial flexibility he hoped for did not materialize. In 1812, the municipality lost control of the octrois (local tolls), which were transferred to a state agency. Furthermore, municipal finances were permanently controlled by the prefect to prevent unnecessary deficits.
Sathonay did succeed in carrying out several large-scale works. He purchased new buildings for the Antiquaille Hospital, completed the Tilsitt Bridge (now Pont Bonaparte) over the Saône to relieve the Pont du Change, and opened the Loyasse Cemetery, the city's first external cemetery. In 1810, he finalized the naming and numbering of the streets.