FOURTH ITINERARY
(Follow the arrows along the streets indicated by continuous lines)
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).
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.
THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE AND THE PONT-NEUF
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.
ST. MAGDALENE'S CHURCH.
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.
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.
THE ROUBAIX GATE.
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.
From time immemorial Tourcoing has been a wool manufacturing centre. Here, the wool is first washed and dried, then treated with cocoanut fat, before combing, and lastly spun. Since 1845 the combing has been done mechanically (Heilman's system). The same may be said of the spinning, which, since 1811, was done on Bobo machines. Before the War, 5,000 tons of spun wool were exported annually.
Among the specialities made at Tourcoing were: fine thread, tablecloths and tapestry-work of mixed silk and mercerised cotton (well known for their fine colouring and reasonable price), and carpets of the Wilton and Oriental types.
PANORAMA OF ROUBAIX (Cliché LL.)
ROUBAIX
Itinerary: Leave Lille by the Boulevard Carnot at the Place du Théâtre, between the Theatre and the New Bourse. Follow the Boulevard des Trois Villes to Roubaix. Enter the latter by the Rue de Lille, follow its continuation, the Rue Neuve, which leads to the Grande Place: Hôtel de Ville and Church of St. Martin.
Hôtel de Ville
The present building is the work of the architect Laloux (1911); it replaced the old Town Hall, built in 1845 and pulled down in 1907. The latter, as the town grew, had several times been enlarged and otherwise altered, but had finally become too small for a population of more than 50,000 workpeople and an annual production exceeding 500,000,000 frs. in value.
THE HÔTEL DE VILLE
(Cliché LL.)
The new Town Hall is a fine building, with a frieze representing scenes from the local industries. A wing on the right serves as the Stock-Exchange, while another on the left contains the town's records.
Church of St. Martin
This church, which was rebuilt and transformed in 1849, recalls vaguely the 15th century Gothic style of the original edifice. Only the steeple is ancient. The church has five naves and contains four ancient tombs and a Flemish altar-screen.
THE GRANDE PLACE AND CHURCH OF ST. MARTIN (Cliché LL.)
Take the Rue de la Gare, to the Nord-West of the Grande Place. At the corner of the Rue Nain is the National School of Industrial Arts, to which has been added a Museum of Paintings and Sculpture (recently organized by M. Victor Champier), a Textile Museum and a Library containing 15,000 volumes.
The School proper (whose courses, which are well attended, include dyeing, spinning, weaving, etc.) and its annexes (museum and library) are installed in a fine building erected in 1889 from the plans of the architect, F. Dutert, who designed the Galerie des Machines in Paris. Built of dressed stone and brick, the three doorways lead to the library, museums (sculpture, paintings, art-history and textiles) and the public lecture-hall.
The central pediment by Allar, represents Industry and Art. On the pediments of the pavilions are symbolized: The Arts (by Lanson) and the Sciences (by Hughes). The frieze (by Laoust) represents, symbolically, the various branches of learning taught in the school.
At the station, take the Rue de l'Alma on the right, then turn to the left into the Rue de Tourcoing, which leads straight to Tourcoing.
THE GRANDE PLACE.
GERMAN HEAVY ARTILLERY CROSSING THE SQUARE
TOURCOING
The Rue de Roubaix (continuation of the Rue de Tourcoing) is prolonged by the Rue Carnot, which leads to the Grande Place. Here the tourist will find the Church of St. Christopher.
ST. CHRISTOPHER'S CHURCH (Cliché LL.)
THE DOOR-WAY (Cliché LL.)
THE GRANDE PLACE.
GERMAN REVIEW IN THE GRANDE PLACE
The Church of St. Christopher
The original church was erected in the 12th or 13th century, but was entirely rebuilt in 1860, in 15th century Gothic style. The body of brick and stone, with its various balustrades, graceful sculptured pinnacles, and richly decorated tracery windows, recalls the churches of that period, but it is evident from the aspect of the interior, where the decoration is less rich, that the church is modern. The spire above the tower is 17th century.
To the N.W. of the church is the Hôtel de Ville, a modern, French Renaissance building, surmounted by a large dome. It contains a library of about 10,000 volumes, a museum of fine paintings, mostly modern (Paul Chabas, David, Guardi, Harpignies, Peter Naefs, Henri Zo, Henri Zuber) and specimens of old cloth-stuffs of local manufacture.
GERMAN MONUMENT IN TOURCOING CEMETERY.