THIRD ITINERARY

(Follow thearrowsalong the streets indicated bycontinuous lines).

Monuments to be seen on the way: TheMonument to Desrousseauxin the Jussieu Square, theTestelin Monument, theChurch of the Sacred Heart, thePalais Rameau; theBridges over the Deule,Monument to Négrier,Churches of St. AndréandSt. Catherine.

The temporary bridges mentioned further on, existed in April, 1919. In whatever state the tourist may find them, he need onlyfollow the Deule canal, after theJardin Vauban, cross the first bridge he meets, and turn back to the left (if necessary) on the other side, until he comes to the avenue which opens out on the right opposite the Boulevard de la Liberté, and which leads to theCitadelle.

MONUMENT TO DESROUSSEAUX.

Leave the Grande Place by the Rue Nationale, following the latter as far as the church of the Sacred Heart, whose high unfinished tower will be seen on the right.To the right is theJussieu Square(landscape garden laid out by Barillet in the moats of the old fortifications), at the entrance to which is amonumentto the local poet and song-writerDesrousseaux(photo opposite), who started his career (1820-1892) as a simple working-man, and whose dialect songs are still sung. At the foot of the monument is the figure of a young mother rocking her child to sleep, recalling the composer's most popular song;"Dors, min p'tit quinquin."

Cross the Boulevard de la Liberté, then skirt theTestelin Monument. M. Testelinwas Prefect of the North of France and "Organizer of National Defence in the North in 1870-1871." The monument bears traces of the bombardment, while the bronze statues which surrounded the pedestal were carried away by the Germans.

On reaching theChurch of the Sacred Heart, turn to the right and follow the Rue de Solférino to the Boulevard Vauban, on the right of which is thePalais Rameau.

THE PALAIS RAMEAU.

This fairly large building was erected in 1878, with the financial help of an agriculturist namedRameau. The principal hall is used for exhibitions, more especially horticultural. The rathercurious façadeincludes abust of Rameauflanked by figures of the goddesses Flora (flowers) and Pomona (fruits). In the rear of the Palace Garden is a fine circularconservatory.

On leaving the Palais, take on the right the Boulevard Vauban which, a little further on, crosses theJardin Vauban(pretty public garden), leading to theCanal de la Moyenne Deule.

Skirting a portion of the Citadelle and continuing the canal of the Haute Deule, this canal connects Lille with la Bassée and Douai. The river Deule was first opened up to navigation in 1271, while in 1830 its sidings were improved and the water-way deepened.

In April, 1919, it was necessary to follow the Deule as far as the Square du Ramponneau, where a temporary wooden bridge had been built close to a half-destroyed foot-bridge. After crossing the bridge, visitors had to come back to the left as far as the first avenue on the right leading to the Citadelle(see p.49).

THE CITADELLE ROYAL GATE.

This masterpiece of the fortification art is the work of Vauban (17th century). In shape a regular pentagon, it includes numerous detached out-works. Entrance to it is gained through the Royal Gate, which dates from 1670(photo above). It contains barracks and a chapel (photo below), and it was in the latter that the hostages of Lille spent their nights during the German occupation(p.12).

Jacquet,Deconinck,Maertens,VerhulstandTrulinwere shot in the northern moats by the Germans(p.18).

After visiting the Citadelle, re-cross the bridge, turn to the left and follow theFaçade de l'Esplanade, fine avenue planted with linden-trees, which runs alongside the canal.The ruins ofNapoléon Bridge, blown up by the retreating Germans,will be noticed (photo p.52).

THE CITADELLE CHAPEL.

NAPOLÉON BRIDGE(January, 1919).NAPOLÉON BRIDGEbefore destruction.The Napoléon Bridge dated from 1912. It was destroyed by the retreating Germans.Beyond the bridge is seen the tower of St. Catherine's Church(see p.54). This photograph was taken from the Négrier Bridge(p.53).

NAPOLÉON BRIDGE(January, 1919).

NAPOLÉON BRIDGEbefore destruction.

The Napoléon Bridge dated from 1912. It was destroyed by the retreating Germans.Beyond the bridge is seen the tower of St. Catherine's Church(see p.54). This photograph was taken from the Négrier Bridge(p.53).

The Napoléon Bridge dated from 1912. It was destroyed by the retreating Germans.

Beyond the bridge is seen the tower of St. Catherine's Church(see p.54). This photograph was taken from the Négrier Bridge(p.53).

Further on, at the northern end of the avenue, is theNégrier Bridge, which was also destroyed by the Germans. Looking towards Napoléon Bridge, thetower of St. Catherine's churchappears above thetrees bordering the canal. Near by is thestatue of General Négrierby Bra (1849),photo below, which was damaged by flying débris, when the bridge was blown up.

NÉGRIER BRIDGE.

Take the Rue du Magasin on the right to the Rue Royale, and follow the latter to the right. With its continuation,the Rue Esquermoise, which leads to the Grande Place, the Rue Royale forms one of the main arteries of the old town.

TheChurch of St. Andréis reached shortly afterwards.

STATUE OF GENERAL NÉGRIER.

This church was erected in 1702. The doorway, with its two tall modern statues of St. Peter and St. Andrew in niches, is of two different orders, superposed and divided by an entablature, the whole being surmounted by a triangular pediment.

THE PULPIT, CHURCH OF ST. ANDRÉ.

Near the entrance are twopaintings: The Purification, and The Adoration of the Wise Men, byOtto Venius. In the southern aisle is a St. Theresa in Heaven byA. de Vuez; in the chapel of St Joseph: God sending his Son to save the World, byVan Oost; on the High Altar: Martyrdom of St. Andrew, by a local artist,G. Descamps; on either side of the choir, marblebustsof St. Peter and St. Paul, byQuellin; in the northern aisle, the Annunciation, byA. de Vuez; in the Chapel of the Virgin, the Virgin giving the scapulary to one Simon Stock, byJean Van Oost; asilver Tabernaclewith bas-relief representing The Crucifixion, by the local goldsmith,Baudoux; an 18th century wrought-ironrailing; 16th century sacerdotalornamentsfrom the Abbey of Loos. Thepulpit(photo p.54)byJ.-B. Danesonof Valenciennes, dates from 1876. Its sounding-board represents a heavy curtain raised by an angel.

Further on in the Rue Royale, after the Banque de France, in a small street on the right, is the Church of St. Catherine (photo below).

Like many Flemish churches, that of St. Catherine has no transept, and consists of three practically identical naves. Standing out from the façade, a large square tower, flanked at the corners by eight buttresses, supports the ancient timber-workbelfry—one of the finest in the region. The bell-chamber is lighted by broken-arch bays. One of the heavy bells (1403) bears a curiousinscriptionin rhymes. Below the tower is the great doorway.

The exterior decoration is very sober in style. The right-hand side of the building is masked by houses. The left façade, between whose high mullioned windows are buttresses decorated with small ornamental arcades, has been restored in modern times. Belts of foliage run round the gutters of the roof. The carvings on the great and small doorways are modern.

Inside the church are two rows of columns on moulded bases, the corbels of whose capitals are ornamented with foliage. The nerves of the vaulting are plaster.

CHURCH OF ST. CATHERINE,seen from the Rue Royale.

In the northern aisle is apaintingbyRubens: The Martyrdom of St. Catherine, dating from about 1622; in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes, on the left of the choir in a small niche, is astatuetteof Our Lady of the Seven Afflictions, given byPhilippe le Bon, in 1450, to the collegiate of St. Peter. In the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, to the right of the choir, is a small 15th centuryfuneral monumentin a niche. Thecarved stallsornamented with statues are also noteworthy.

After visiting the church return to the Rue Royale; at Nos. 1 and 3,curious 17th century houses.

At the end of the Rue Royale, take the Rue Esquermoise(which is the continuation, and which contains18th century housesat Nos. 83 and 101),as far as the Grande Place.

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