LyonEvery minute that it is enjoying Lyon’s Gerland Stadium, the 2007 Rugby World Cup will be very much in soccer territory. Olympique Lyonnais, the city’s soccer team that has enjoyed such recent success in the French domestic championship, has called the stadium home since 1950.
The idea of building a sports stadium in the city dates to 1910, and was initiated by the then mayor Edouard Herriot. Herriot assigned architect Tony Garnier the task of completing the project and the stadium was not inaugurated until 1926. Possessing classical architectural features, the stadium’s design was inspired by the famous Roman amphitheatres, with a large circular gallery. The four huge doors were listed as historic monuments in 1967.
In the early 1960s the velodrome was demolished after hosting several stages of the Tour de France. Radical transformations were made to enable the venue to hold soccer matches - for the first time during the European Nations championship in 1984, and then for the Soccer World Cup in 1998. Architect Albert Constantin turned Gerland into a modern stadium bends at each end, each of which is covered by a metal fabric structure measuring 4,300 m2.
Lyon is famous for Guignol, the French equivalent of Punch and Judy, and is the capital of French gastronomy, following the example of its legendary chef, Paul Bocuse.
Did you know?..
The stadium’s current capacity is 43,051 spectators, with the record attendance figure (48,552) achieved on 9 September 1980 for the famous derby between Lyons and Saint-Étienne (another 2007 World Cup host).
Lyon, the third-largest city in France, is also a city famous for Guignol, the French equivalent of Punch and Judy, and is the capital of French gastronomy, following the example of its legendary chef, Paul Bocuse.
The bouchons of Lyons are famous restaurants to satisfy the taste buds of even the most demanding rugby supporters. Between matches, they will also have the opportunity to appreciate the city’s cultural heritage: As the UNESCO World Heritage Committee stated: “Lyon is a prime example of human settlement, an exceptional witness to enduring urban installation over more than two millennia”.
|
