Place Ambroise Courtois, Square in the 8th arrondissement of Lyon, France
Place Ambroise-Courtois is a large, level square in Lyon's 8th arrondissement, mostly covered in a uniform reddish-brown surface. A band of rectangular paving stones in grey, tan and brown borders its lower edge, and a line of light-coloured stones separates the open expanse from the buildings beyond. A single tree trunk rises from the reddish ground near the left side, ringed by darker paving.
The square was called Place de Monplaisir until 1944, when it was renamed after Ambroise Courtois, a local politician who held several government offices in Lyon. The renaming took place shortly after the city was liberated at the end of World War II.
At the north end stands a monument to Auguste and Louis Lumière bearing the inscription "Dans ce quartier, Auguste et Louis Lumière inventèrent le cinématographe". A food market runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, an organic market Wednesday afternoons, a clothing and manufactured goods market Thursday mornings, and a second-hand book market on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.
The square is easy to reach on foot and sits right next to a metro station that bears its name. Those wanting to visit the markets should come in the morning, as most of them run during morning hours.
The bandstand in the middle of the square was inaugurated in March 1988. The square also carries a monument to Auguste and Louis Lumière at its north end, inscribed "Dans ce quartier, Auguste et Louis Lumière inventèrent le cinématographe".
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