Clés de la ville de Lyon
Les trois clés de la ville, dessinées par Chinard et exécutées par l’orfèvre Saulnier © Pierre Verrier

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Those keys are symbolic and open no door in Lyon. Instead, they embody the three divisions of the town (North, West, South) that existed during the 1st Empire. Each key is decorated by elements specific to each part.

They were created by Joseph Chinaed for the visit of the Emperor Napoléon I and his wife Joséphine in Lyon on the 10th of April 1805, and then publically presented to him in front of the political men of the city as a sign of allegiance and gratitude.