Découverte du Vieux Lons

Stroll in the old Lons to discover the heritage of the city. 1 The Theater The theater is located in a prime position in Lons-le-Saunier, and its facades give rhythm to two animated squares in the city center: the Place de la Liberté and the Place du 11 Novembre. It is a beautiful rococo style building, rebuilt from 1901, following a violent fire. The village hall, which occupied half of the building, was destroyed by fire in 1983. It was rebuilt and turned into a space for congresses and meetings, called CAR?COM, offering numerous possibilities of reception. The theater is a masterpiece of early twentieth century architecture where gilding, red velvet, paintings and stucco combine to give the room all its brilliance. The ensemble, classified as a historical monument, was restored in 1997. 2 The fountain of the rue Perrin This is probably the most characteristic of the Lédo¬nian fountains and also the oldest. It was built against this house in 1727, but was previously located elsewhere, perhaps at the end of the impasse Saint Roch (now rue Perrin), or at the corner of the rue des Cordeliers on the rue du Four side. Restored a few years ago, it symbolizes the dual desire to enhance the city's old neighborhoods and to reintroduce water into Lédon's fountains (a few years ago, the Swan Fountain was returned to its original place in front of the Car?Com). It is 3 The church of the Cordeliers It is a discreet monument, hidden at the end of a small courtyard, itself closed by a splendid 15th century porch. But it is a magnificent church, originally built in the 13th century and which, due to numerous fires, today dates essentially from the 18th century (especially its Jesuit-style façade, completed in 1731). Inside, three sets of furniture are classified as Historic Monuments: the pulpit (1728, the work of the Lédonian cabinetmakers Lamberthoz), the great organs (around 1845, Callinet organs) and the choir stalls (around 1828, late Louis XVI style). A crypt, today inaccessible, is the burial place of the Chalon family, powerful lords of the city in the Middle Ages. 4 The Place de la Comédie Here is a pretty square with southern colors restored during an O.P.A.H. from 1980 to 1985. It owes its name to a small theater now destroyed (a disused church transformed during the French Revolution into a theater). In fact, it was a popular district of wine growers. The lintels of some doors still bear the emblem of the profession: the serpette. The old wine press reinforces this image. The Wallace fountain, a copy of the Parisian fountains, is pure fantasy. It dates from the 20th century. 5? The salt well This is the primitive site of the city, where the first Lédonians probably chose to live, because of the proximity of a salt spring which was, for a long time, an important source of income for the city. Although salt has not been produced in Lons-le-Saunier since 1966, the salt water is still used in the thermal baths (and an underground pipe connects the Puits Salé to the Thermes Lédonia). A small fountain allows today to taste (with moderation...) the Lédonia water. 6 The Museum of Fine Arts It occupies the fourth wing of the old city hall. Inside, the collections of sculptures (including the imposing Perraud legacy) and paintings are worthy of interest (let us quote the 2 Breughel, the 4 Courbet,...). 6 The old Town Hall It is a beautiful building built on the site of the Chalon-Arlay castle around 1743. At that time, it had only three wings, the museum wing having been added in the middle of the 19th century. Its architecture is in contrast to that of the rest of the building, which is much more sober and typical of the way of building in Lons-le-Saunier in the 18th century. A few notes on the old castle: in the Middle Ages, it was a high place of the Franc-Comtoise life, richly decorated and fitted out. But it was abandoned at the end of the 16th century, then totally destroyed by the violent fire of 1637, linked to the French conquest (Lons was previously a possession of the Spanish crown). It is said that the stones of the foundations of the Town Hall come from the ruins of the castle, which is likely. The town hall moved in 2014. It is now located at 44 Avenue du Régiment d'Infanterie. 7 The Hotel Dieu This beautiful building, whose architecture and gates we admire today, was built from 1735 to 1745, on the plans of the architect J.-P. Galzot. Originally from Besançon, Galzot was naturally inspired by the Saint-Jacques Hospital to draw the outline of the Hôtel-Dieu de Lons. The main courtyard was closed around 1778 by a splendid wrought iron gate, the work of Jura craftsmen (one of whom was from Lédon), and it is classified as a historical monument. To be seen in the heart of the building: the majestic grand staircase finished in 1741 and which Galzot said was "the most difficult room to lead in the whole building". As for the apothecary, it conceals multiple treasures: woodwork, earthenware pots, copperware, pewter... It is, as one scholar wrote, "a small temple of art and good taste", which allows, through three rooms, to follow the evolution of the apothecary function from the 17th century to the present. Guided tours are organized by the Tourist Office. 8 Rue du Commerce (arcades) Without doubt the most famous street in Lons and the most beautiful. Initially built in wood, it was entirely rebuilt after the fire of 1637 in stone and covered with tiles. It has kept, on this occasion, its graceful curve inherited from the Middle Ages. The numerous arcades are striking in their diversity. At n° 24, is the birth house of Rouget de Lisle, author of La Marseillaise. It was worthily celebrated in Lons in 1992, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the composition of the Chant de Guerre pour l'armée du Rhin (which became La Marseillaise in the summer of 1792, because it was performed by the federates from Marseille who were entering Paris). Rouget de Lisle is buried at the Invalides. At the southern end of the street, stands the belfry, commonly called "Tour de l'Horloge". It replaced an old watchtower, destroyed at the same time as the ramparts, at the beginning of the 18th century, but from which the materials (and perhaps the plan?) were kept to build the belfry. 9 The Liberty Square Since the destruction of the ramparts, this is undoubtedly the heart of the city. The square occupies the place of the old ditches, which, once filled in, created a large space with a particular shape (an almost perfect rectangle). Today, it is the center of all activities, especially commercial activity. On the square stands the statue of General Lecourbe, who was born in 1759 in Besançon and came from an old Franc-Comtois family. General of the Empire, he distinguished himself on the battlefields and in particular against the Russians of Suvorov. He died in 1815 in Belfort, was buried in Ruffey-sur-Seille and Lons inherited his statue in 1830. The city of Lons-le-Saunier has completely renovated the Place de la Liberté (ground, lighting, fountain and water fountains, urban furniture), and built a covered parking lot, to make it more beautiful and attractive. It hosts events and concerts. 10 Saint Désiré Church Here is the jewel of Lédonian architecture: a splendid Romanesque church built in 1083. Of course, the exterior, restored in the 19th century, is disappointing? But the nave, the transept and the crypt are in the purest pre-Romanesque style of the 11th century, and in a typically Franc-Comtois Romanesque style: no historical decorations. In the south transept, a beautiful 15th century piéta or tombstone from the former priory of Gigny is on display. The choir houses a Eucharistic column in flamboyant Gothic style. The chapel of the Virgin to the north contains a statue of Saint Anne. The crypt, built in 1060 with materials from the original construction (5th century?) houses the empty sarcophagus of Saint-Désiré, the patron saint of Lons (whose relics are kept in the second northern chapel of the Cordeliers Church). The crypt was restored in 1992. 11 Rouget de Lisle statue, place de la Chevalerie, monuments to the dead On this square, Ney pronounced in 1815 his famous sentence "the cause of the Bourbons is lost forever! But the Place de la Cheva¬lerie was chosen above all to pay tribute to the people of Lédon. First of all, Rouget de Lisle, author of the Marseillaise. His statue, erected in 1882, is the work of the sculptor Bartholdi, to whom we also owe the famous Statue of Liberty in New York and the Lion of Belfort. It was restored and classified in 1992, on the occasion of the bicentenary festivities of the Marseillaise. In the 20th century, it was decided to erect monuments to the dead to the east of the square. The one to the heroes of the 1914-1918 war was inaugurated in 1922. The names of the Lédonians who died during the 1939-1945 war were added to it. Behind it is the monument to the "Glory of the Jura Resistance", designed by Sar¬rabezolles, a great prize-winner of Rome, who wished to place his figures, symbols of the Resistance, against a massive map of the Jura. This monument dates from 1950. 12 The park and the Lédonia thermal baths In the heart of a splendid seven-hectare park, where you can find very rare species from all five continents, you will find the Lédonia Spa, where the benefits of salt water have been used since 1892. In addition, classic thermal cures and fitness packages allow everyone to take advantage of the Lédonia waters in the new "SPA Thermal Lédonia". A recent extension to the park features a contemporary Korean garden.