Send Gift Baskets to Villeurbanne, France

6000 BC is believed to be when Villeurbanne was first inhabited in its present location. Its current name comes from the Villa Urbana (“townhouse”), a Gallo-Roman farming area founded at about the same time as Lyon (then Lugdunum). As a result, it became Urbanum, then Villa Urbane, and then Villeurbanne.

Since 1349, Villeurbanne has been a part of the French kingdom. By the river La Rize, a former branch of the Rhône River, it was separated from La Guillotière (a former city incorporated into Lyon as the 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 8th Arrondissements).

A patchwork of distinct villages separated by fields and undeveloped land constituted the city before the 19th century. Nowadays, Charpennes, Cusset, Croix-Luizet, Maisons-Neuves, etc., are the neighborhoods formed by these villages.

As the industrial era dawned, Villeurbanne’s economy flourished: textiles first, then chemical and mechanical industries. Numerous immigrants, primarily from Italy, were attracted to the factories.

During the late 1920s, Villeurbanne underwent a tremendous demographic boom as it transformed from a rural community to an industrial town. By 1931, its population had grown to 82,000 from 3,000 in 1928. During his term, Mayor Lazare Goujon initiated a massive public works initiative (elected in 1924). A housing complex comprised of two Art Deco towers and small annex buildings lining up along Avenue Henri Barbusse is the most visible heritage of this program. Buildings built between 1924 and 1934 were designed by architects Môrice Leroux and designed by Tony Garnier. Their 19-story twin towers have become an emblem of the city and are among France’s most notable Art Deco buildings.

Môrice Leroux was a friend and disciple of Môrice Giroud, who designed Villeurbanne city hall.