Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Old Bourse de Lille, built between 1652 and 1653 under the direction of architect Julien Destrée, embodies the economic development of the city in the 17th century, then under Spanish domination. Inspired by the exchanges of Antwerp and Amsterdam, this quadrangular monument consists of 24 identical houses surrounding an inner courtyard, once private. Its exuberant architecture, blending pagan sculptures and Flemish Renaissance ornaments, celebrates the trade, with Mercury at the top of the campanile. The court, now a meeting place for books and chess players, was originally reserved for merchants.

Ranked a historic monument in 1921 and 1923, the Old Stock Exchange lost its commercial role in 1920 with the inauguration of the New Stock Exchange. Its history reflects the economic changes of Lille, notably its industrial golden age in the 19th century, marked by the laying of a statue of Napoleon I in 1853 (transferred in 1976) and the tribute paid to local inventors such as Philippe de Girard. The restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries, financed by regional patrons, preserved its brilliance, while apposing their coats of arms.

The inner courtyard, accessible by four entrances decorated with cartridges ("Honour at work", "Inventive engineering", etc.), houses galleries named after their former functions (Courtiers, Agents de change). The building, a private property, remains a symbol of Lille's past prosperity, competing with Flemish cities. Its current use, combining tourism and cultural activities (such as the jazz festival Le Printemps de la Vieille Bourse, 1995–2009), perpetuates its role as a place of sociability.

The architecture of the Old Stock Exchange, with its fruit garlands, abundant horns and carved pilasters, illustrates the influence of Flemish engravers like Pierre Collot. Julien Destrée, both architect and sculptor, integrated pagan elements celebrating trade. The monument, originally designed to surpass the fountain of the disappeared Change, also bears witness to the tensions between free trade and protectionism in the 19th century, evoked in the speeches of Frédéric Kuhlmann in 1853.

The facades and roofs, classified in 1921, as well as the courtyard and its porticoes, protect a unique architectural ensemble. The Old Stock Exchange, disused in 1920, owes its name to the construction of the modern Chamber of Commerce. Its campanile, its covered galleries and its inscriptions ("Recognizing Industry 1853) recall its dual heritage: a place of economic power and a Flemish artistic heritage.

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