Lille Before and During the WarPneu Michelin (Firm)
History
Lille Before and During the War
Pneu Michelin (Firm)
Lille (France) -- Guidebooks; Lille (France) -- History; World War, 1914-1918 -- France
_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
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