Michael A. Stecker
mastecker@gmail.com

Notre Dame de Fourviere
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a minor basilica in Lyon, France. It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1884 on a hill
overlooking the city.  Fourvière contains two churches. The upper sanctuary is very ornate with a detailed facade, while the lower with a statue of a
lion over its entrance is simpler. Designed by Pierre Bossan, it draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. It has four main towers,
a bell tower topped with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary, fine mosaics and stained glass windows.
(please click mouse twice over photo for an enlargement)

Notre Dame de Fourviere
Atop Fourviere Hill, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière overlooks the Saone River and Lyon Peninsula to the east.  It is said to mark the
triumph of Christian values over the socialists of the Lyon commune, similarly to the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur in Paris.

Notre Dame de Fourviere and Tour Metallique
Just north of the Basilica is the Tour Metallique ("Metallic tower of Fourvière").  Its steel framework bears a striking resemblance to the Eiffel Tower.
Built between 1892 and 1894, the metallic tower's height is 85.9 meters (281 feet) and weight 210 tons. Its construction was assisted by the
local council who wanted to build a secular monument to counterbalance the Catholic Church which is less than a hundred meters away.
Today it is a television tower not accessible to the public.