Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The convent of the Minimes of Lille, founded in 1618 by the Order of the Minimes, is a male convent located at Wault Quai. Its construction spanned 1622 to 1638, in a characteristic Flemish architectural style. The site includes a cloister and a large inner courtyard of 2,500 m2, emblematic elements of this type of religious building.

In 1742, a fire partially ravaged the convent, requiring reconstruction work. Disused during the French Revolution in 1791, he was confiscated by the state and turned into a military warden. This change in usage marks the beginning of a long period when the building loses its original religious vocation.

Purchased by Lille in 1981, the convent was then acquired in 1988 by the SLIH Group to be converted into a luxury hotel. The renovation work, carried out in the late 1980s, enhances the cloister thanks to a pyramidal canopy housing common spaces (restaurant, bar, lounges). The hotel officially opened on 6 October 1990.

Ranked a historic monument since 17 October 1977, the convent of Minimes illustrates both Lille's religious heritage and its contemporary adaptation. Its history reflects the political and social upheavals, from its foundation under the Old Regime to its modern reconversion.

Future

Recaptured by the city of Lille in 1981, it was bought in 1988 for conversion to a luxury hotel. The hotel was inaugurated on 6 October 1990.

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