The Brunet House: a mysterious residence with 365 windows in the heart of Lyon

undefined 10 janvier 2024 undefined 15h45

The Editor

Nestled in the Croix-Rousse neighborhood in Lyon, Maison Brunet, also known as the "House of 365 windows", stands like a guardian of time. This iconic building, witness to rich and tumultuous stories, is one of the most original in the city. Follow us through the maze of this unique dwelling.

Stretching along Rivet Street, bordered by Prunelle Street to the west, Rouville Square to the south, and Flesselles Street to the east, Maison Brunet forms an imposing block of houses that overlook the Croix-Rousse. Its south facade, offering a breathtaking view of Quai Pierre Scize and the Saône River, reveals the grandeur of this building. The history of the house dates back to the Roman era of Lugdunum, where Roman strategists already exploited this strategic site. **However, the current structure, as we know it, was erected between 1810 and 1825.** Mr. Brunet, the visionary behind this work, wanted to represent in his home the cycles of time and the divisions of the year.
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A House Built Like a Year

Yes, Maison Brunet is an architectural masterpiece designed like a year. It features 365 windows, 52 apartments, 7 floors, and 4 entrances, symbolizing the number of days, weeks, days of the week, and seasons in a year. An architectural ballet that turns the structure into a living calendar. However, Mr. Brunet's fate was less glorious. Buried in debt, it is said that he succumbed to his consuming passion for this house, leaving behind a building eternally linked to his name.

A story shaped by the Lyon silk weavers

Such a building was destined to have a rich and exciting history. The dark pages of Maison Brunet's history open during the silk weavers' revolt in 1831. Transformed into a fortress by the insurgents, its countless windows then become shooting positions. The cobblestones of the streets echo with the sounds of the struggle between the silk weavers and government forces. Two years later, during the second uprising, the house is surrounded by cannons deployed by the army to contain the presumed agitation of the residents. Luckily, the building survives the bombings and endures through the ages for us to admire it still today.

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To add a touch of mystery and practicality to this unique place, **Maison Brunet also has two [traboules](https://www.lebonbon.fr/lyon/loisirs/histoire-de-lyon-tout-savoir-sur-les-traboules-lyonnaises/), which connect numbers 10 and 12 of Rivet Street to numbers 5 and 6 of Rouville Square**. To travel through history in the blink of an eye.