60 Saint-Jean Street
The courtyard of the Maison des Avocats, located in the heart of Old Lyon, is a place steeped in history that immerses us in the city's medieval atmosphere. Today, this building houses the Miniature and Cinema Museum, but its past is much older and more fascinating.
Built between 1300 and 1528, the Maison des Avocats (Lawyers' House) is distinguished by its rear wing, visible from Rue de la Bombarde. Carefully restored, this section features an elegant Tuscan-style gallery overlooking the inner courtyard. In the center of this courtyard, a well, dating from 1516, bears witness to the site's rich history.
The oldest façade, at 60 rue Saint-Jean, once served as the entrance to a medieval inn called the “Auberge de la Croix d'Or”. This inn welcomed merchants and travelers who came to participate in the famous Lyon fairs. The wide carriage entrance, still visible today, allowed horse-drawn vehicles direct access to the courtyard.
This place was also frequented by members of the Basoche, a brotherhood of legal students and clerks employed by lawyers and prosecutors. These associations, very influential in cities with a Parliament, played an important role in social and legal life until the Revolution. In Lyon, the Basoche was distinguished by its religious processions and more solemn ceremonies, contrasting with the noisy and theatrical festivities of other cities.
The history of the Basoche still resonates within the walls of this courtyard, where one can easily imagine the lively meetings, the exchanges, and the performances, sometimes critical of those in power. The famous farce of Master Pathelin, created before 1474, is one of the works that could have been performed here, with its emblematic phrase “Let’s get back to the point,” which has endured through the centuries.
By visiting this court, we delve into a rich and living past, where legal traditions and daily life of the medieval era intermingle.
