Formerly known as the La Piscine-Musée d'Art et d'Industrie André Diligent, La Piscine de Roubaix derives its name from the building it is housed in, which was once an indoor swimming pool. The museum retains most of the original decor, with changes made to the entrance and an added garden and exhibition space. Dedicated to contemporary and industrial art with a special allocation for sculptures, the museum features some of the greatest works by renowned artists from around the world.
The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange), built in 1653, has been fully renovated and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Lille. Originally built in Flemish baroque architecture to serve as a symbol of the market town of Lille, it now encompasses a secondhand bookstore and flower shops. As you wander through this enchanting building, you'll find many old books of all genres: novels, scientific books, textbooks, graphic novels, post cards, etc. This place is unique, thanks to both its site and to its incredible variety of ancient works on sale, and so it provides the perfect backdrop for a trip into the past. A real gem!
Vieux Lille or Old Town is located in the north of the city. It is a well known tourist destination and contains many famous buildings dating back to the 17th Century. The buildings comprise of brick and stone. Walk past the structures here and take in their architectural brilliance one at a time. Many food outlets, bars and restaurants are located in the vicinity.
Lille's first Opera House, built in 1875 by Michel Lequeux, a native of Lille, was destroyed by fire in 1903. To replace the neoclassicism of the destroyed edifice, Cordonnier suggested a style that was decidedly Louis XVI, with an interior decoration as sumptuous as its outward appearance. The building was inaugurated in 1923, with Massenet, Lalo and Bizet on the program. Notice the high contours at the summit of the building depicting Apollo and his Muses, by Hippolyte Lefébvre, an allegory of Music, one of Alphonse Cordonnier's works on the left. On the other side, enjoy tragedy by the sculptor Lemaire.
Each and every small commune and town in France is filled with castles, wine estates and art museums and Villeneuve-D'Ascq is no exception to this. The Musée d'Art Moderne Lille Métropole also known as Musée d'Art moderne de Villeneuve-d'Ascq is an important museum of this commune. Set-up in 1983, it houses artworks of great and renowned artists like Picasso and Calder. It also comprises collections donated by Roger Dutilleul and Jean Masurel. You can check the works of artists from different eras, each representing a particular art movement.
Built under Napoleon I in the beginning of the 19th Century, the Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille is both, one of the oldest art museums in France, as well as one of its largest. Works seized from churches and territories in Revolutionary France were sent to this museum to promote the popularization of art. The museum was renovated in the early 1990s and expanded to cover over 22,000 square meters (236,806.03 square feet). The museum's fine art collection is one of the best in the country, featuring such masters as Rembrandt, Goya, Rodin and Delacroix, delighting art-lovers from all over the world. The museum building itself, is an arresting sight and a fitting home to the cultural treasure it houses. The museum also hosts a variety of events that can generally be attended by the public.
In 1667, Lille's Magistrate wanted to have some new buildings erected that would be in architectural harmony with the Stock Exchange. In 1674, the town decreed that any plans for facades would first have to be submitted to the Town Council for approval. A group of houses built of bricks and stone three stories high, they stood opposite what was then the Saint-Etienne church. Overmantel pilasters were erected, topped by heads of angels, cornucopia and scrolls, summarizing the French style of the XVIIth century and local traditions. The signs of rank have changed, but the attractive shops on the ground floor are still here. An observant eye will take notice of the cannonballs still wedged in the bricks, reminders of Austria's besiege in 1792.
Guarding the inhabitants of Lille is the statue of Deesse, the work of a sculptor from Douais who also designed two engravings on the arc de Triomph. Built in 1845, she stands on a pillar designed by the architect Charles Benvignat. Located in the center of the Grand Place, the statue commemorates the 1792 siege of the city by the Austrians. Nearby, visitors can still see remnants of cannonballs from the seige, lodged into homes. Be sure to read the text at the base, which Deesse points to and bears the Mayor's refusal to surrender the city to Austrian forces!
This ancient church belonged to the Carmelites, whose monastery adjoined the rear of this same church. Built from 1701 onwards by Gombert, it was transformed into a parish church in 1784. The facade is surmounted by a triangular pediment flanked by heavy urns and a central window with lowered arches. The portal is framed by statues of St Peter and St Andrew and works of the sculptor Heyde. Inside, the wooden pulpit (1776) was sculpted by Danezant (Valenciennes); at the entrance to the chancel visitors will find white marble busts of St Peter and St Paul. Various other works decorate the church: The Martyrdom of St Andrew by Descamp (1822), Otto Venius' Adoration of the Magi and Presentation at the Temple (1629) and the Virgin presenting Saint Theresa by Arnould de Vuez (1729). A silver tabernacle from the Lille goldsmith Beaudoux is in the Virgin's chapel, where the future General de Gaulle was christened.
According to manager Eliane Dheygere, the Vivat is a place where "the meeting of the artist, his creation, his outlook on the world and the public, the population and social life is always very active". The Vivat hosts drama performances, dance shows (some of the biggest companies perform at the Vivat), and music concerts with jazz from Liane Foly and Marcus Miller. Located fifteen minutes from Lille on the A25 motorway towards Dunkirk, take the exit to Armentières.
This square is packed full of emotions and history. This is where the armies from across the Rhine showed their force and where, in 1925, Gustave Delory's funeral took place. The Grand Place is square and cobbled in the tradition of all Flanders squares. Four women keep watch over it. The Déesse (Goddess), born in 1965, is enthroned in the center and symbolizes the people's resistance against the Austrian invader in 1792. Her left hand points to an inscription engraved on her pedestal - the reply given by the mayor, refusing to hand over the town. In her right hand she holds a port-fire such as the Lille gunners used to use. The other three women are the three bronze Graces patinated with gold, that are high up on the gables overlooking the Voix du Nord building, representing the provinces of Artois, Flanders and Hainaut.
The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange), built in 1653, has been fully renovated and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Lille. Originally built in Flemish baroque architecture to serve as a symbol of the market town of Lille, it now encompasses a secondhand bookstore and flower shops. As you wander through this enchanting building, you'll find many old books of all genres: novels, scientific books, textbooks, graphic novels, post cards, etc. This place is unique, thanks to both its site and to its incredible variety of ancient works on sale, and so it provides the perfect backdrop for a trip into the past. A real gem!