MONTCHAT, A VILLAGE IN THE HEART OF LYON

With its many green spaces, listed buildings, hospitals and local shops, Montchat offers a quality of life that is prized and cherished by its inhabitants, who call themselves Montchatois before being Lyonnais. Montchat has a soul, a village spirit and a very strong neighbourhood life", summarises in a few words a resident of the district who has lived there for twelve years, the happy owner of a detached house near the Parc Chambovet. Located in the east of the 3rd arrondissement, Montchat is bounded to the north by the route de Genas, which borders Villeurbanne. To the east, it is bounded by a hillock bordering Bron, Boulevard Pinel and Rue du Vinatier; to the south by Avenue Rockfeller and to the west by Rue Feuillat. Its particular physiognomy dates back to 1858. 

At that time, Jean-Louis François Richard-Vitton, a large landowner and future mayor of the 3rd arrondissement, developed one of the first housing estates by dividing his estate into several family houses. He built a church and schools, and gave the land for his streets to the city of Lyon. Today, he gave his name to one of the district's main thoroughfares, Cours Richard-Vitton, and many streets bear the first names of members of his family: rue Julien, rue Louis, rue Camille, etc. At the beginning of the 20th century, the construction of the Édouard-Herriot hospital changed the sociology of the district. The fabric of workers and small businessmen disappeared to the benefit of the medical personnel who still represent a large part of its population today, confirmed in 1930 by the construction of the Desgenettes military hospital and then, in the 1970s, the neurological and cardiological hospitals, the international cancer research centre and, more recently, the HFME (Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant).

The heart of the district is located between the Cours Richard-Vitton and the Cours Docteur Long. It is here, in these streets woven with local shops (butchers, bakers, florists, bookshops, etc.), that the village spirit is most palpable, especially on market days, which are held on the Place du Château on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

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The only castle in the heart of Lyon, the Château de Montchat (51, rue Charles Richard), with its 3,400 m² of parkland, is ideal for private or professional events: seminars, meetings, weddings, birthdays, etc. Another historic building in the district, the Villa Berliet (39, avenue Esquirol), an Art Nouveau architectural marvel, was built at the beginning of the 20th century on the initiative of the car manufacturer Marius Berliet. It can be visited during the Heritage Days. To admire prestigious houses and villas, head for the Chaussagne Park. This island of peace and greenery, located between rue Coignet, avenue Esquirol and cours Eugénie, is subject to strict urban planning rules that protect it from real estate pressures. The Avenue du Château is also home to some sublime bourgeois residences and small, well-kept buildings. The rue de la Balme and the rue de la Caille are home to charming houses with garden floors. Just like rue Pierre Bonnaud, rue Alfred de Musset and around the Condorcet school, near the Parc Chambovet. Located on the heights of Montchat, this four-hectare wooded area is very popular with the Montchatois, who come to run, take a family walk and enjoy the beautiful view over Lyon.

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