Place Saint-Nizier, Square and pedestrian zone in central Lyon, France

Place Saint-Nizier is a trapezoidal square in central Lyon, straddling the boundary between the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. It is dominated by the church of the same name, which rises on one side with two unmatched towers, one older and built in brick, the other completed in the 19th century.

As early as the 2nd century, a place of worship is thought to have stood on this site, making it one of the oldest religious spots in Lyon. The church seen today dates mainly from the 14th and 15th centuries, though the Renaissance portal on its facade was added in the 16th century.

The square sits on the border between the 1st and 2nd arrondissements, linking two neighborhoods that feel slightly different from each other. The gargoyles on the church facade draw the eye, especially as the light shifts through the day and shadows move across the stone.

The square is easy to reach on foot and sits close to the Cordeliers metro station. It is surrounded by pedestrian streets, so it is best explored without a car.

The square's name comes from Saint Nicetius, a 6th-century bishop of Lyon whose tomb is believed to lie beneath the church, originally dedicated to the Holy Apostles. In the southwest corner stood the Saint-Jacques chapel, where the city's civil councillors met until their sessions moved to a nearby building in 1461.