This verdant esplanade, which gives an astonishing view over the city, formed part of the estate of the Chartreux, which stretched right down to the river Saône. The gardens house several monuments in memory of some of Lyon's literary and artistic figures:
Pierre Dupont (1821-1922),
Pétrus Sambardier (1875-1938),
Camille Roy (1851-1922),
Joseph Serre (1860-1937).

One statue stands in memory of "late Lyon painters and sculptors".

The passage Gonin, opposite place Rouville, and the montée des Chartreux, opposite the Diderot high scool, provide a pleasent walk down to the banks of the river Saône

This handsome garden is contemporary with the major transformations this area underwent in the years 1848-67. The religious properties reconstituted after the French Revolution - those of the Carthusians, and of the Sisters of St-Elisabeth, whose buildings can be seen opposite, at the top of the rise - hindered traffic on the Slopes. The creation of Cours Général Giraud in 1867 finally provided easy access to the Croix-Rousse Plateau from the bottom of the Slopes.

Little building took place in the years that followed, leaving areas of greenery that were much appreciated by residents. One major change came in 1936 with construction of the Weaving School - now the Lycée Diderot - designed and supervised by Tony Garnier.