- 12-14 rue de la charite, 69002 Lyon, France
- What you see
- What you need to know
Magnificent building built in 1893 by the architect Joseph-Etienne Malaval, to whom we owe the 2nd arrondissement Town Hall.
This building housed the Short story writer : conservative and catholic newspaper. This daily supported collaboration during the second world war and stopped publishing in August 1944
The building has many decorations on the facade:
- The decoration of the building is very elaborate and is inspired by the Renaissance style, using elements such as Corinthian columns and pilasters, as well as a well motif often associated with Philibert Delorme (Bullioud gallery).
- Notice the statue of Joan of Arc made by the sculptor Paul-Emile Millefaud : it measures 3.5m, and is carved from a single block of Carrara marble (source). Joan of Arc prepares to enter battle and entrusts her fate to God through her prayers, as is implicitly suggested by the symbolic gesture of offering her sword.
- At the very top of the building (crowning of the edifice) the monumental heraldic figure, a "fighting" lion, holding in its claws the motto of the newspaper: " God and Country »
- Arc key forming a medallion under the statue of Joan of Arc. The two lions standing on a globe hold the “N” from the Nouvelliste.
- Archive images
- Anecdote: The fake Nouvelliste
In November 1943, Henri Jaboulay and Lucien Bonnet decided to reproduce a BBC experiment which consisted of broadcasting a fake newspaper edition to counter the Petainist propaganda of the newspaper Le Nouvelliste in Lyon. Le Nouvelliste was the only major daily in Lyon to broadcast Petainist thought since November 1942.
The conspirators suggested to "Alban" Vistel that he substitute a fake number written by resistance fighters for Le Nouvelliste. The roles were distributed at a meeting, and the operation was set for December 31, 1943. The team prepared packages marked "Censorship" the night before. At 5 a.m. the following day, six cars with a "Press Service" sticker began their journey, quickly substituting the packages at each point of sale.
At 8am, the operation was over before the alert was raised. Searches of the Nouvelliste and the Lyon républicain yielded nothing. The people of Lyon discovered shocking information in the fake issue, including the Oyonnax parade, the massive raids on Germany, the brutality of the Militia and the Gestapo, an appeal to the bourgeoisie in favour of the maquis, and the explosive "news": "The Marshal of France, Head of State, re-establishes the Republic".
