Lille, Nothern France Get A Way

The legend of “Lyderic and Phinaert” dates the original city of “L’Isle” back to 640. The first mention of the town appears in archives from the year 1066 but some archeological digs show that the area was inhabited as early as 2000 BC by Celts and the name Lille comes from insula or l’Isla, since the area was at one time marshy. This name was used for the Count of Flanders’ castle (Château du Buc), built on dry land in the middle of the marsh.

Beginning with the twelfth century, the fame of the Lille cloth fair began to grow, but it was not until the sixteenth century that the regional textile industry began its significant booming. This great economic growth, however, was weighed down by the Black Plague. And the textile industry was further squelched by the Protestant revolts.

King Louis XIV succeeded in capturing Lille and incorporating it into France in 1668. Within the next two years the king mandated public works such as the Vauban Citadel, the quartiers Saint-André and la Madeleine which appeased the discontented Flemish citizens. The city remained profoundly Catholic and thus did not take part in the French Revolution (1789–1799) although there were riots that caused severe damage to many churches.

The Austrians attempted to capture Lille after the French Revolution but failed and withdrew. The Column of the Goddess was erected in 1842 in La Place du Général de Gaulle (the Grand-Place) as a tribute to the city’s resistance. In spite of all the turmoil, the city continued to grow gained fame for its fine cotton.

Lille was heavily damaged and then captured by German troops in 1914 during World War I but was liberated by the British in 1918.
Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin, working at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, discovered the first anti-tuberculosis vaccine, known as BCG (”Bacille de Calmette et Guérin”) in 1921. The Great Depression of the 1930s affected Lille such that a third of its population fell into dire poverty.

Lille was captured by the Germans in 1940 during World War II and was once again liberated by the British in 1944 but normalcy did not return to the city until 1948.

The VAL, the world’s first automated rapid transit underground network was opened in Lille in 1983 and a high-speed TGV train line connecting it to Paris was opened in 1993. The Channel Tunnel opened in 1994.

An urban remodeling project, the Euralille, began in 1991 with the Euralille Center opening in 1994 and the district is now abundant with beautiful parks and modern buildings with offices, shops and apartments. The Grand Palais was also opened the same year.
Today, Lille is the principal city of the fourth largest urban area (comprised of Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing and their suburbs) of France. It is located in the northern region of France, on the Deûle River, near the border with Belgium. The city of Lille annexed Lomme  in 2000 and their combined population is currently at approximately 250,000 inhabitants.

Attraction not to be missed in Lille north France are: the Grand’ Place (officially known as place du Général-de-Gaulle and often referred to as the Place de la Déesse), which marks the southern boundary of the old quarter, Vieux Lille. To the south is the central shopping area which extends along Rue de Béthune as far as the adjacent squares of Place Béthune and Place de la République. The Grande Braderie is an annul festival that takes place during the first weekend of September and features a big street parade and a vast flea market.

Posted in France Vacation Guide