Ancient Baths of Lyon (Rue des Farges)

Roman Site in Lyon

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Alorange

The ancient Roman baths on Rue des Farges in Lyon were discovered during urban development in the 1970s on the slopes of Fourvière Hill, and are believed to be among the city’s oldest Roman structures—possibly even referred to historically as the Baths of Apollo. Excavations began in earnest after accidental damage during roadworks, revealing a large Roman district dating from the late 1st century and abandoned in the 2nd or 3rd century. The baths, along with two vaulted underground rooms, were misidentified initially as early Christian prisons, but subsequent findings corrected that theory. These rooms were later classified as historical monuments in 1975.

The bath complex was a large, municipally funded structure measuring roughly 75 x 50 meters and underwent various modifications over its use. The site included upper terraces with homes and shops—like the elaborately decorated House of Masks and the House of Carts—as well as a lower terrace palaestra (exercise court) supported by vaulted galleries. These galleries may have doubled as firewood storage for the baths. Over time, after the decline of the Roman Empire, the area became a necropolis. Though much of the site has been filled in today, parts of the baths can still be seen at 6, rue des Farges, under the arches of a residential building.

The Ancient Baths of Lyon (Rue des Farges) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Lyon!

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