Rue Denis Godefroy which opens on the Boulevard de la Liberté, in line
with the Museum_, is the house where M. Eugène =Jacquet= lived _(his
apartment was on the 1st floor, see photograph below and page 16)_.
_Leave the Place de la République by the Rue Nicolas Leblanc (at the
corner of the Square, by the side of the Museum) at the end of which is
the =Church of St. Michael=. Continue as far as the Place Philippe le
Bon: in the middle, =Monument to Pasteur=; on the left, =University of
Lille=._
The =University of Lille= occupies spacious buildings inaugurated in
1895. An important library and various wings have since been added,
including the Coal and the Gosselet Geological and Mineralogical
Museums, the Electro-Technical and Pasteur Institutes, etc. The
University of Lille is the second in importance in France.
[Illustration: M. JACQUET'S HOUSE]
_On the left, at the end of the Place Philippe le Bon, take the Rue
Solférino which crosses the Place Jeanne d'Arc and leads to the Rue de
Douai._
[Illustration: THE UNIVERSITY]
_From the Place Philippe le Bon, the tourist may visit the =curious
Monument=_ built by the Germans in the Southern Cemetery, where several
thousands of their soldiers were buried. The monument represents a
Walkyrie carrying off a dead warrior to the Walhalla _(p. 64)_.
_To reach the Cemetery, take the Rue des Pyramides, on the right of the
Church, then the Rue des Postes, go through the Porte des Postes and
follow the Rue du Faubourg des Postes to the cemetery. Return to the
Porte des Postes, taking on the right the Boulevard Victor Hugo which
leads back to the crossing of the Rue Solférino and the Boulevard des
Écoles (see Itinerary, p. 36)._
_If preferred, the tourist can go direct from Philippe le Bon Square to
the Douai Gate, via the Rue Solférino (continued by the Rue de Douai),
passing between the University and St. Michael's Church._
[Sidenote: _See itinerary, p. 36_]
[Illustration: CRATER CAUSED BY THE EXPLOSION]
_=The "Dix-huit Ponts"= (see p. 22)_
On reaching the Rue de Douai, the cracked walls of the houses, many
of them roofless, which were damaged by the =Explosion= of the
=German Ammunition Depot= known as the "Dix-huit Ponts," come into
view. The tourist will get a closer view of them as he proceeds. _At
the Douai Gate, take the Boulevard de Belfort on the left_, which
leads to the scene of the catastrophe. The =crater= is still plainly
distinguishable, although its sides are no longer sharp, and grass is
springing up everywhere.
_Climb to the highest point of the fortifications above the crater, to
get a good view of this moving scene._
[Illustration: SPINNING MILL DESTROYED BY THE EXPLOSION]
To the right and left extends the regular and picturesque line of the
Vauban fortifications, the red brick walls standing out well against
the green of the grass-covered slopes. In the nearest walls are large
crevices, while below, the tourist sees the crater strewn with rubbish
and portions of the vaulting. In front, the wrecked spinning-mills, of
which only the chimneys remain standing, and the devastated streets
(Rue de Ronchin, Rue de Trévise, etc.), form impressive silhouettes.
[Illustration: THE RUE DE RONCHIN]
_Return to the Douai Gate_, in front of which traces on the ground mark
the site of a block of buildings burnt down by the Germans in October,
1914, when they entered the town. _Take again the Rue de Douai, then
the Boulevard des Écoles, following the latter to the Rue and Porte de
Paris._
_To the right of the Rue de Paris, in the Boulevard Louis XIV, are the
=School of Arts and Craft= and the =Pasteur Institute=._
[Illustration: THE RUE DE RONCHIN]
[Sidenote: _See itinerary, p. 36_]
[Illustration]
The Paris Gate
This gate was built in 1685-1695 from the plans of a local architect
(Simon Vollant), to commemorate the return of Lille to France (1667).
It was completely restored in 1895. The demolition of the old line of
fortifications left this gate isolated in the middle of the town, and
it was to ornament and finish off those portions which adjoined the
ramparts that additions in the same style were then made. The whole
forms a Monumental Gate and Triumphal Arch.
In a large semi-circular arch is the Royal Coat of Arms, while below
are the Arms of Lille carved on a stone tablet. On either side of the
latter are channels for receiving the drawbridge levers.
To the right and left, two Doric columns on pedestals support the whole
of the entablature with frieze and cornice, above which are trophies,
helmets and flags. On pedestals between the columns are statues of
Hercules _(on the right)_ and Mars _(on the left)_, while above are
sculptured motifs in demi-relief.
The most remarkable part of the monument is the great sculptured motif
which crowns the whole. In the middle, Victory seated amidst arms and
standards, raises her right hand to crown the King (Louis XIV), seen
in the medallion immediately below. At Victory's feet, somewhat to the
right and left, two figures of Fame proclaim the glory on trumpets.
The whole is expressive and graceful, attesting the great ability of
the artist in treating this somewhat commonplace theme.
_Take the Rue Carnot to the right of the Gate, skirting the Square
Ruault, which is the continuation, as far as the =Hospital of St.
Saviour=._
This hospital, sometimes known as that of St. John the Evangelist, was
founded in 1216, after the battle of Bouvines, by the Countess Jeanne
de Constantinople. The present brick and stone buildings date from the
17th and 18th centuries.
[Illustration: HOSPITAL OF SAINT-SAVIOUR
_Door in one of the galleries_]
In the Middle-Ages, hospital wards contained an altar at one end, so
that the patients could hear Mass from their beds. A heavy curtain was
then drawn, cutting off the altar from the remainder of the room.
In the hospital of St. Saviour, the choir of the chapel, which is
lighted by high, broken-arch windows, still exists. A low, vaulted
room, opening on the right, serves as an oratory for the nuns.
_Skirting the Hospital on the right, the tourist comes to the =Noble
Tower=._
Built in 1459, the Noble Tower was formerly the centre of the
town's defences. It consisted originally of three stories, one of
which contained ribbed Gothic vaulting. Of great size and massive
construction, the tower is flanked by two smaller ones connected by a
curtain. The upper portion of the tower has disappeared.
Near by is seen the steeple of the =church of St. Saviour=, a modern,
pseudo-Byzantine edifice.
_Return to the Paris Gate, via the Ruault Square, taking again the Rue
de Paris. On the left, at No. 224, is_ a high gabled wall containing
vestiges of a broken-arch bay, all that remains of the old =Hospice
Ganthois=, founded in 1466 by _Jean de la Cambe_, surnamed Ganthois.
The right wing was rebuilt in the 17th century. Over the entrance
appears the date "1664." An interior court, shaped like a cloister,
leads to the patients' ward.
[Illustration: THE NOBLE TOWER]
THIRD ITINERARY
_(Follow the =arrows= along the streets indicated by =continuous lines=)._
[Illustration]
From the Grande Place to the Citadelle
_Monuments to be seen on the way_: The =Monument to Desrousseaux= in
the Jussieu Square, the =Testelin Monument=, the =Church of the Sacred
Heart=, the =Palais Rameau=; the =Bridges over the Deule=, =Monument to
Négrier=, =Churches of St. André= and =St. Catherine=.
* * * * *
The temporary bridges mentioned further on, existed in April, 1919.
In whatever state the tourist may find them, he need only _follow the
Deule canal, after the =Jardin Vauban=, cross the first bridge he
meets, and turn back to the left (if necessary) on the other side,
until he comes to the avenue which opens out on the right opposite the
Boulevard de la Liberté, and which leads to the =Citadelle=._
_Leave the Grande Place by the Rue Nationale, following the latter as
far as the church of the Sacred Heart_, whose high unfinished tower
will be seen on the right. _To the right is the =Jussieu Square=_
(landscape garden laid out by Barillet in the moats of the old
fortifications), at the entrance to which is a =monument= to the local
poet and song-writer =Desrousseaux= (photo opposite), who started his
career (1820-1892) as a simple working-man, and whose dialect songs are
still sung. At the foot of the monument is the figure of a young mother
rocking her child to sleep, recalling the composer's most popular song;
_"Dors, min p'tit quinquin."_
[Illustration: MONUMENT TO DESROUSSEAUX.]
_Cross the Boulevard de la Liberté, then skirt the =Testelin Monument=.
M. Testelin_ was Prefect of the North of France and "Organizer of
National Defence in the North in 1870-1871." The monument bears traces
of the bombardment, while the bronze statues which surrounded the
pedestal were carried away by the Germans.
_On reaching the =Church of the Sacred Heart=, turn to the right and
follow the Rue de Solférino to the Boulevard Vauban, on the right of
which is the =Palais Rameau=._
The Palais Rameau
This fairly large building was erected in 1878, with the financial help
of an agriculturist named _Rameau_. The principal hall is used for
exhibitions, more especially horticultural. The rather =curious façade=
includes a =bust of Rameau= flanked by figures of the goddesses Flora
(flowers) and Pomona (fruits). In the rear of the Palace Garden is a
fine circular =conservatory=.
[Illustration: THE PALAIS RAMEAU.]
_On leaving the Palais, take on the right the Boulevard Vauban which, a
little further on, crosses the =Jardin Vauban=_ (pretty public garden),
leading to the =Canal de la Moyenne Deule=.
Skirting a portion of the Citadelle and continuing the canal of the
Haute Deule, this canal connects Lille with la Bassée and Douai. The
river Deule was first opened up to navigation in 1271, while in 1830
its sidings were improved and the water-way deepened.
In April, 1919, it was necessary to follow the Deule as far as the
Square du Ramponneau, where a temporary wooden bridge had been built
close to a half-destroyed foot-bridge. After crossing the bridge,
visitors had to come back to the left as far as the first avenue on the
right leading to the Citadelle _(see p. 49)_.
[Illustration: THE CITADELLE ROYAL GATE.]
The Citadelle
This masterpiece of the fortification art is the work of Vauban (17th
century). In shape a regular pentagon, it includes numerous detached
out-works. Entrance to it is gained through the Royal Gate, which dates
from 1670 _(photo above)_. It contains barracks and a chapel (photo
below), and it was in the latter that the hostages of Lille spent their
nights during the German occupation _(p. 12)_.
=Jacquet=, =Deconinck=, =Maertens=, =Verhulst= and =Trulin= were shot
in the northern moats by the Germans _(p. 18)_.
_After visiting the Citadelle, re-cross the bridge, turn to the left
and follow the =Façade de l'Esplanade=, fine avenue planted with
linden-trees, which runs alongside the canal._ The ruins of =Napoléon
Bridge=, blown up by the retreating Germans, _will be noticed (photo p.
52)_.
[Illustration: THE CITADELLE CHAPEL.]
Further on, at the northern end of the avenue, is the =Négrier Bridge=,
which was also destroyed by the Germans. Looking towards Napoléon
Bridge, the =tower of St. Catherine's church= appears above the trees
bordering the canal. Near by is the =statue of General Négrier= by Bra
(1849), _photo below_, which was damaged by flying débris, when the
bridge was blown up.
[Illustration: NAPOLÉON BRIDGE _(January, 1919)_.]
[Illustration: NAPOLÉON BRIDGE _before destruction_.
The Napoléon Bridge dated from 1912. It was destroyed by the retreating
Germans.
Beyond the bridge is seen the tower of St. Catherine's Church _(see p.
54)_. This photograph was taken from the Négrier Bridge _(p. 53)_.]
[Illustration: NÉGRIER BRIDGE.]
_Take the Rue du Magasin on the right to the Rue Royale, and follow the
latter to the right. With its continuation, =the Rue Esquermoise=_,
which leads to the Grande Place, the Rue Royale forms one of the main
arteries of the old town.
The =Church of St. André= is reached shortly afterwards.
Church of Saint-André.
This church was erected in 1702. The doorway, with its two tall modern
statues of St. Peter and St. Andrew in niches, is of two different
orders, superposed and divided by an entablature, the whole being
surmounted by a triangular pediment.
[Illustration: STATUE OF GENERAL NÉGRIER.]
Near the entrance are two =paintings=: The Purification, and The
Adoration of the Wise Men, by _Otto Venius_. In the southern aisle is
a St. Theresa in Heaven by _A. de Vuez_; in the chapel of St Joseph:
God sending his Son to save the World, by _Van Oost_; on the High
Altar: Martyrdom of St. Andrew, by a local artist, _G. Descamps_; on
either side of the choir, marble =busts= of St. Peter and St. Paul, by
_Quellin_; in the northern aisle, the Annunciation, by _A. de Vuez_;
in the Chapel of the Virgin, the Virgin giving the scapulary to one
Simon Stock, by _Jean Van Oost_; a =silver Tabernacle= with bas-relief
representing The Crucifixion, by the local goldsmith, _Baudoux_;
an 18th century wrought-iron =railing=; 16th century sacerdotal
=ornaments= from the Abbey of Loos. The _=pulpit= (photo p. 54)_ by
_J.-B. Daneson_ of Valenciennes, dates from 1876. Its sounding-board
represents a heavy curtain raised by an angel.
[Illustration: THE PULPIT, CHURCH OF ST. ANDRÉ.]
_Further on in the Rue Royale, after the Banque de France, in a small
street on the right, is the Church of St. Catherine (photo below)._
Church of St. Catherine
Like many Flemish churches, that of St. Catherine has no transept,
and consists of three practically identical naves. Standing out from
the façade, a large square tower, flanked at the corners by eight
buttresses, supports the ancient timber-work =belfry=--one of the
finest in the region. The bell-chamber is lighted by broken-arch bays.
One of the heavy bells (1403) bears a curious =inscription= in rhymes.
Below the tower is the great doorway.
The exterior decoration is very sober in style. The right-hand side
of the building is masked by houses. The left façade, between whose
high mullioned windows are buttresses decorated with small ornamental
arcades, has been restored in modern times. Belts of foliage run round
the gutters of the roof. The carvings on the great and small doorways
are modern.
Inside the church are two rows of columns on moulded bases, the corbels
of whose capitals are ornamented with foliage. The nerves of the
vaulting are plaster.
In the northern aisle is a =painting= by _Rubens_: The Martyrdom of
St. Catherine, dating from about 1622; in the Chapel of Our Lady of
Lourdes, on the left of the choir in a small niche, is a =statuette= of
Our Lady of the Seven Afflictions, given by _Philippe le Bon_, in 1450,
to the collegiate of St. Peter. In the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, to
the right of the choir, is a small 15th century =funeral monument= in a
niche. The =carved stalls= ornamented with statues are also noteworthy.
[Illustration: CHURCH OF ST. CATHERINE, _seen from the Rue Royale_.]
_After visiting the church return to the Rue Royale_; at Nos. 1 and 3,
=curious 17th century houses=.
_At the end of the Rue Royale, take the Rue Esquermoise (which is the
continuation, and which contains =18th century houses=_ at Nos. 83 and
101), _as far as the Grande Place_.
FOURTH ITINERARY
_(Follow the =arrows= along the streets indicated by =continuous lines=)_
[Illustration: _From the Roubaix Gate, tourists may go to the East
Cemetery, where Jacquet and Trulin are buried (see p. 24)._]
THE OLD TOWN
_Chief Buildings_: The =Church of Our Lady of the Vine=; =Comtesse
Hospital=, =Law Courts=, =Church of St. Magdalene=, =Hôtel des
Canonniers=, =Roubaix Gate=.
* * * * *
_Starting from the Grande Place, cross the Place du Théâtre and take
the Rue de la Grande Chaussée, on the left of the Nouvelle Bourse_:
13th and 14th century houses at Nos. 11, 14, 15, 42 and 52. _On the
right take the Rue des Chats Bossus and Place du Lion d'or, leave the
Place St. Martin on the right, and take the Rue de la Monnaie on the
left._ At No. 31 in this street, opens a narrow passage leading to the
=Church of Our Lady of the Vine=, which is being erected on the site
of the Castle of Buc. When finished, it will be one of the largest
of modern Gothic churches. The inhabitants of Lille have already
surnamed it "the Cathedral." Building was begun in 1855, from plans
by the English architects Clutton and Burges, revised by the Jesuit,
Arthur Martin. 13th century in style, the choir, over crypt, is only
half-finished, while the remainder of the edifice has not yet been
begun.
In the chapel of the apse, over the altar, is a =statue= of Our Lady of
the Vine, venerated since the 13th century as the Patron Saint of the
town. In a chapel on the left are =plans= and a =model in relief= of
the finished basilica.
_Return to the Rue de la Monnaie_, at No. 32 of which is the =Comtesse
Hospital=.
The =Comtesse Hospital= was founded in 1243 by Countess Jeanne de
Flandre; the entrance dates from 1649, and opens on to a curious
vaulted passage. A 15th century gable faces the Rue Comtesse.
Inside are =paintings= by _Arnould de Vuez_ and _Wamps_. The chapel
contains fine =timber-work vaulting= and a =commemorative tablet=
inscribed with the names of the French officers who died in this
hospital of wounds received at the Battle of Fontenoy.
_Follow the Rue de la Monnaie as far as the Place du Concert. Turn to
the right as far as the Canal de la Basse Deule_, by the side of which
is the =Colonnade= of the Law Courts (1837) _(photo below)_.
[Illustration: THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE AND THE PONT-NEUF]
The Deule is an important river about 40 miles long, which traverses
the whole of the coalfields of Northern France, and helps to carry the
enormous traffic connected with the metallurgical, cotton, woollen and
sugar industries of that region.
_Follow the Deule Quay to the left, to the steps of the Pont Neuf.
(If motoring or driving, the tourist will have to go via the Place
du Concert, Rue St. André, then taking on the right the Rue du Pont
Neuf.)_ The latter crosses the Deule by the =Grand Pont= or =Pont
Neuf=, formerly called the Pont Royal. Built in 1701 from plans by the
architect Vollant, this bridge connects up the two parallel roads which
run alongside the canal. Originally it was composed of six arches, two
of which spanned the river, the other four passing over the low-level
roads on either bank.
To allow the trams to pass, the two arches on the quay where the
colonnade of the Palais de Justice stands have been replaced in recent
times by an unartistic platform resting on iron pillars, which has
spoilt the appearance of the bridge.
Steps connect the bridge with the quays.
_After crossing the bridge, the tourist arrives in front of the
=Church of St. Magdalene= (1675)_, a vast round edifice surrounded by
chapels and surmounted by a cupola. It contains several interesting
=paintings=: on the High Altar, the Resurrection of Lazarus, by
_Jacques Van Oost_; under the dome, The Four Doctors of the Latin
Church, by the same painter; in the Chapel of Our Lady of Help, The
Adoration of the Shepherds, by _Rubens_; in the Chapel of the St.
Sacrement, Christ crucified, by _Van Dyck_: at the entrance to the
choir, The Woman of Samaria and the Canaanitish Woman, by _Arnould de
Vuez_.
[Illustration: ST. MAGDALENE'S CHURCH.]
_Follow the Rue de Thionville, which begins opposite St. Magdalene's
Church, then turn to the left into the Place de Gand, at the end of
which is the =Gand Gate=. On the right take the Rue de Courtrai which
leads to the Place aux Bluets. At the lower end of this square, turn to
the left into the Rue des Urbanistes, then take the first street on the
right, the Rue des Canonniers, which skirts the =Hôtel des Canonniers=.
The latter_, formerly an Urbanist Convent, was given by +Napoléon+
in 1804 to the "Sedentary Gunners Corps" of Lille. It contains town
records and a small museum of local interest.
A little further on, at the corner of the Rue des Canonniers and the
Rue de Roubaix is the old =Hôtel d'Aigremont=, dating from the 18th
century.
_Turning to the left into the Rue de Roubaix, the tourist comes out in
front of the =Roubaix Gate=._
[Illustration: THE ROUBAIX GATE.]
[Illustration: ROUBAIX GATE.
_As in the case of the Tournai Gate (p. 34), the retreating Germans
blew up the bridge over the moat, seen on p. 57 (before) and above
(after) the explosion. A temporary road replaces the Bridge._]
ROUBAIX GATE
The =Roubaix= or =St. Maurice Gate= dates from about 1620, and was
erected from the plans of _Jean de Mesre_, _Jean Petit_ and _Jean
Fayet_. Of its three entrances, the middle one only is ancient. Above
each entrance is carved a coat of arms. The one in the centre, forming
a tympanum, is between two pilasters supporting a triangular pediment.
At the top is a row of battlements, with a stone niche surmounted by
a broken pediment in the centre. The niche contains the =statue= of a
woman.
Over the passage is a slate-roofed building ornamented with coloured
glazed bricks.
_Go through the gate and take the Rue du Faubourg de Roubaix to the
=Eastern Cemetery=._ The graves of =Jacquet= and =Trulin= are in this
cemetery _(see photos p. 24)_.
_Return to the Grande Place by the Rue de Roubaix, Rue des
Ponts-de-Comines and Rue Faidherbe._
ROUBAIX-TOURCOING
From Lille to Roubaix and Tourcoing, via the Boulevard des
Trois Villes.
Total Distance, including return journey: 16 miles.
=ROUBAIX=, one of France's =chief industrial centres=, is of very
ancient origin. The first important mention of it in history, however,
only goes back to the 15th century (1469), when one, _Peter of
Roubaix_, obtained permission from Charles the Bald to manufacture
cloth. It was occupied and sacked several times by foreign invaders. In
1792 it was taken by the Austrians, in 1794 by the English, and in 1914
by the Germans.
In 1554, Roubaix, which had become a rival to Lille, obtained
permission from Charles Quint and later (1609) from the Council of the
Arch-Dukes of Austria, to manufacture velvet, fustian and common grey
linen cloth.
A decree of the State Council in 1762, granting similar privileges to
all the parishes, was the subject of long lawsuits, which were decided
against Lille.
The popular song-writer, _Gustave Nadaud_ (1820-1893) was a native of
Roubaix.
There are no monuments in the town anterior to the Revolution.
The population, largely composed of the working classes, increased
rapidly between 1881 and 1891, and numbered 120,000 in 1914. The
suburbs: Wattrelos, Lys, Croix, Wasquehal and Mouvaux, are extensions
of the town itself and are growing steadily.
Since 1830 Roubaix has been an important centre for =wool combing= and
=spinning=, the machinery employed comprising 700 washing, carding,
combing and weaving machines and 300,000 spindles. Before the War, the
wool-spinning mills produced =6,000 tons= of yarn annually, the whole
of which was used in France.
The =dyeing= and =finishing= industries, which date back to 1760, had
steadily prospered. In 1914, 48 firms, employing 8,000 workpeople, were
engaged in this branch.
* * * * *
=TOURCOING= shared the fate of Flanders during the course of its
history. The English and Flemish burnt it during the 14th century,
while the French seized it in 1477. In 1566-1568 it was twice sacked by
the Gueux, and the Duke of Albe held it to ransom. From 1667 to 1708 it
was annexed to France by Louis XIV. Later it fell successively under
the yoke of the Austrians, Dutch and Saxons. On May 18th, 1794, the
French beat the Duke of York's troops at Tourcoing, and paved the way
for the Victory of Fleurus on June 26th.
=Tourcoing= is essentially an =industrial town=. Its population has
steadily increased since 1491, when it numbered 2,500. In 1851 it had
grown to 27,615 and in 1914 to 82,644.