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The story of December 8 is intimately connected with the religious history of Lyon. Its origin goes back to 1852, more than a century and a half ago.

In 1850, religious authorities announced a competition for creating a statue of the virgin, seen as a religious signal at the top of the Fourvière hill. A year later, this competition was won by the Lyonnais sculptor, Fabisch, and the date of September 8, 1852, was chosen for the inauguration of the sculpture. But in the month of August, the Saône overflowed its banks and inundated the worksite where the statue was being completed.