Reused Roman columns
Four massive granite columns thought to come from a Roman building on the site.
Saint-Jean in Vieux Lyon is far larger and mainly Gothic with Romanesque parts, and it is the better-known landmark. Saint-Martin d'Ainay is older, smaller and stylistically purer: almost entirely Romanesque. Seeing both shows the difference between the two styles within an hour.
The church is in active use and modest dress is expected as in any place of worship: avoid very short or revealing clothing. There is usually no formal enforcement, but respect is expected, particularly if a service is under way.
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An eleventh-century Romanesque church in the Ainay quarter on the Presqu'île, the oldest surviving church in Lyon and the city's most important example of Romanesque architecture. The Romanesque precedes the Gothic and differs from it fundamentally: round arches instead of pointed ones, thick walls, small windows, and a dark, low interior. Anyone who knows the French Gothic cathedrals will find this church startling in its plainness and weight — which is exactly what makes it worth visiting. One detail rewards attention: four massive granite columns carry the tower above the altar, and they are thought to have been reused from an earlier Roman building on the site. Reusing Roman stone was common practice in the Middle Ages, and here you see an example directly. Practical points: entry is free and the church is in active use, so respect service times. The Ainay quarter around it is among the quietest in central Lyon and rewards a walk. The visit is short, twenty to forty minutes.
Four massive granite columns thought to come from a Roman building on the site.
Round arches, thick walls and a dark interior — the opposite of the cathedrals.
Ainay is among the calmest parts of central Lyon and rewards a walk.
Ainay quarter, Presqu'île, Lyon