What it is
Lugdunum was founded on Fourvière in 43 BC and became the capital of Roman Gaul. Its museum — long called the musée gallo-romain, officially Lugdunum Musée et théâtres romains since 2017 — sits inside the hillside next to the theatres, which it now manages.
What to see
⭐ The collections the city had been gathering since the early nineteenth century include two famous pieces: the Claudian Table, a bronze tablet carrying a speech of the emperor Claudius — who was born in Lugdunum — and the great mosaic of the circus games, a chariot race laid out in stone.
Around them are the tombs, altars and everyday objects of a Roman provincial capital, and windows that look straight out onto the theatres.
Getting it right
Do the museum and the theatres together, on the way down from Fourvière. The museum holds temporary exhibitions as well, so check what is on.
