History

19th CENTURY: A MILITARY SUPPLIES DEPOT

In 1807, the Army moved in. The site was from then on used as a storage depot and encampment for the military forces of many surrounding forts. From 1840 to 1991, mainly flour and bread were made there, but it was also used to package coffee, tobacco and wine. In 1840, the army built the big square, called Manutention (storehouse) Sainte-Marie des Chaînes.
Since 1870, the 1300m2 area in the central yard has been covered by a glass and metal roof inspired by the Eiffel movement. A first wheat mill was built in 1853 where the boiler room now stands. A second one was built in 1870 (where the administration building is now) and a third and final one in 1890 (behind the reception area). A bakery, with six big coal ovens, was built in one of the wings of the Manutention, and the production line was then complete. From then on the site made bread and packaged food supplies in a quasi-industrial fashion. These supplies were then sent to surrounding bastions in peace-time and to the front during the great wars.
In 1941, the site was renamed “Subsistances militaires” (Military Supplies). The Army used it until 1991, and the State gave the site to the City of Lyon in 1995.