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Origin and history

The old house Gabrielle finds its origins in a villa built in the middle of the eighteenth century in Annappes, today a district of Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Originally, this building served as a country house for a Welsh bourgeois. When damaged during the French Revolution, it was bought in 1801 by the Brigode family. In 1856, after the death of Gabrielle de Brigode, his brother François Adrien de Brigode turned the villa into a hospice for old men, entrusted to the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. The site also hosts educational activities until 1975.

In 1873, Noémi de Brigode, sister of François-Adrien, added an opening where young girls from the region worked for textile manufacturers until the 1930s. A chapel, built in 1878 at the back of the building, was destroyed in 1991 during rehabilitation work. The villa changed hands several times: given to the Congregation of the Savior in 1965, sold to a Rotary association in 1981, then acquired by the Lille Urban Community in 1986 before becoming municipal property in 1988.

Filed with the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1986 for its facades, roofs and architectural elements, the villa suffered a fire in 1989 before being restored. Since 1997, it has been home to the services of the Community Centre for Social Action (CCAS). A monastic garden, planted with medicinal and fruit plants, completes today the whole, offering a soothing public space.

The Gabrielle Hospice illustrates the evolution of a private heritage towards a social and charitable vocation, marked by the commitment of local aristocratic families and religious congregations. Its architecture and history reflect the economic and social transformations of the Lille region, between the textile industry, Christian charity and municipal management.

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