The Porte de Paris and Town Hall and Belfry (Befroi
de L'Hotel de Ville) |
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Lille (Dutch: Rijsel) is the main city of
France's fourth largest metropolitan area (consisting of Lille,
Roubaix, Tourcoing and their suburbs). Lille is located to the
country's north, on the Deûle River and is the capital
of the Nord-Pas de Calais région. It is also the préfecture
(capital) of the Nord département. Lille lies near the
border with Belgium and its Dutch name is Rijsel.
After the French took the city in 1668, Vauban was charged with
improving the fortifications. In 1670, work began to demolish
part of the old wall in order to enlarge the defences and to
allow the town to grow into the newly created space.
Of the 7 gates into Lille, the Porte de Paris was chosen
to be transformed into a monument to the power of Louis XIV.
It was redesigned as a great 32-metre high work of art, with
sculptures of figures from Greek and Roman mythology.
This is one of three remaining gates of the city in existence
and The Porte De Paris is the most striking of them. It is
close to the Town Hall and the belfry, Befroi
de L'Hotel de Ville. It was erected between
1685 and 1692 and it features figures of Mars and Hercules
symbolising War and Power. There is a drawbridge which crosses
the moat garden.
The Town Hall and Belfry, Befroi
de L'Hotel de Ville, was built in 1924 and took four years to complete replacing
the one destroyed by fire in the Place Rihour. The design, inspired
by gabled Flemish houses includes a 104 metre high tower which
is supported by two sculpted giants, Lyderic and Phinaert, legendary
founders of the city. The tower, accessible by lift, offers fantastic
panoramic views over the city. There is an impressive central
hall studded with floral pillars and displays of art work throughout
the stairways, corridors and meeting rooms, including a superb
fresco by the Icelandic painter Erro, telling the story of the
town in the form of a strip cartoon.
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