Grand Place (Place du Général de Gaulle)
Lille's beating heart, a vast market square ringed by Flemish facades and officially named for Charles de Gaulle, who was born in the city. At its centre rises the Column of the Goddess, honouring the citizens who defied a nine day Austrian siege in 1792.
Su questo luogo
The Grand Place, officially the Place du General de Gaulle, has been the social heart of Lille for nearly seven centuries. Once marshland beside the river Deule, the drained ground became a market square around 1350 and has drawn crowds ever since. Measuring roughly a hundred and fifty five metres by seventy two, it is framed by a splendid mix of brick and stone facades spanning the centuries, with the famous Furet du Nord bookshop on one side and the gilded Three Graces of La Voix du Nord on another. At its centre stands the Column of the Goddess, unveiled in 1845 and sculpted by Theophile Bra, commemorating the heroic resistance of Lille's citizens during the Austrian siege of 1792, when the city was bombarded for nine days and nights yet refused to surrender. The square takes its official name from Charles de Gaulle, who was born in Lille in 1890.
Fatti principali
- 1792 year — Lille withstood a nine day Austrian bombardment during the siege
- 1845 year — The Column of the Goddess was unveiled at the square's centre
- 155 metres — The length of the vast square, roughly seventy two metres wide
📍 Place du Général de Gaulle 14, 59800, Lille