Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon

Video: Festival of Lights in Lyon

Video: Festival of Lights in Lyon
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Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon

French Lyon hardly complains about the shortage of tourists, but at the beginning of December there are especially many of them. People from different countries come to the city to see with their own eyes how the facades of houses and cathedrals, statues of fountains, bridges, streets turn into canvases on which rays of light paint magical and enchanting works.

Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon

The festival dates back to the distant 1643, when the city was engulfed in a brutal plague epidemic. Desperate people prayed for the salvation of the Virgin Mary - and a miracle happened: the epidemic stopped. Two centuries later, a competition was announced in the city to create the best sculpture of the Virgin, and on December 8, 1852, on the day of the Immaculate Conception, the statue was installed on the chapel of the Notre Dame de Fourvière Basilica. This happened in the late evening, and people from all over the city walked along the streets with bright torches, and also lit candles and lamps in the windows of houses. Since then, lighting fires on this day has become a tradition.

Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon

The festival of lights (Fête des Lumières) itself arose much later, but has already managed to fall in love with both residents of Lyon and tourists from other cities. The holiday is held every year at the beginning of December and lasts for several days. Its apotheosis always falls on December 8th. These days, in the evenings, the city is transforming: light installations are carried out on the streets next to famous architectural structures, and fluttering candle lights are lit in the windows of houses, like a century and a half ago.

Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon

The paintings projected onto architectural structures using the most modern technology are often associated with the history of Lyon. Thus, two goals are realized at once: the townspeople are reminded of their roots, and tourists are introduced to the history of the city. And in the end, scenes of the past, reproduced by rays of light on the facades of old buildings, are always beautiful and majestic.

Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon
Festival of Lights in Lyon

The festival in its modern format has been held annually since 1999 and celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. You can find information about this event and see the stunning light installations of this year and past years on the website.

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