The Place Ampère is a pedestrian square located in the Ainay square, in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon

2nd arrondissement of Lyon

The 2nd arrondissement of Lyon is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon.-History:The first five arrondissements of Lyon were created by the Decree of March 24, 1852, which included the 2nd arrondissement.The current mayor is Denis Broliquier....

. It is nearly the middle of the rue Victor Hugo

Rue Victor Hugo (Lyon)

Rue Victor-Hugo is a pedestrian street in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, in the Ainay district of the Presqu'île quarter, reputed to be one of the most known shopping area of Lyon. From north to south, it connects the Place Bellecour to the Place Carnot...

 and is served by the metro station Ampère - Victor Hugo.

History

The square was already populated in the Roman era.

Designed during the first half of the 19th century with the development of the rue Victor Hugo, it was redevelopped in 1976, when the metro was created.

The square was named Place Henri IV from 1828 to 1848 and from 1849 to 1884. In 1848-1849, it was renamed Place de l'Espérance. The current name was given by a deliberation, on 27 November 1884.

Architecture

A statue made by Charles Textor portraying André-Marie Ampère

André-Marie Ampère

André-Marie Ampère was a French physicist and mathematician who is generally regarded as one of the main discoverers of electromagnetism. The SI unit of measurement of electric current, the ampere, is named after him....

 was erected in the center of the square, on his bronze armchair, and a stone pedestal engraved with lions and a few of his many titles of glory. It was inaugurated by French President of the Republic Sadi Carnot

Marie François Sadi Carnot

Marie François Sadi Carnot was a French statesman and the fourth president of the Third French Republic. He served as the President of France from 1887 until his assassination in 1894.-Early life:...

 on 8 September 1888.

The square is lined with buildings of the 19th century and a post office. It is illuminated on the night with violet colours. The vegetation consists mainly of Hornbeam

Hornbeam

Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...

s and Paulownia

Paulownia

Paulownia is a genus of from 6 to 17 species of plants in the monogeneric family Paulowniaceae, related to and sometimes included in the Scrophulariaceae. They are native to much of China, south to northern Laos and Vietnam, and long cultivated elsewhere in eastern Asia, notably in Japan and Korea...

s, with suspensions of spring flowering bulbs.

The blocked up traboule at No. 6 crosses two buildings and starts by a nineteenth century building with pediment

Pediment

A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...

s above the windows of the first and second floors.