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Origin and history

The Saint-Étienne church of Lille, located rue de l'Hôpital-Militaire near the Grand-Place, is a baroque building built from 1606 as a chapel of the Jesuit college. Originally dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, she became parishioner under the patronage of St Stephen in 1796, after the destruction of the former St Stephen's church during the Austrian siege of 1792. Its history is marked by fires (1740, 1910) and reconstructions, notably that of 1743 by architects Dominique Delesalle and François-Joseph Gombert.

The Jesuit chapel, founded in the early seventeenth century with the support of Bishop Jean Vendeville, housed works by Rubens, lost in the fire of 1740. After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1765, she served as a military chapel and then as a ride during the Revolution. In 1796 she was assigned to Saint Stephen's parish, replacing the destroyed medieval church. Its interior, sober and luminous, preserves a pulpit of François Rude (1828) and 19th century stained glass windows.

Ranked a historical monument in 1987, the church combines a classical facade inspired by the Gesù of Rome (ionic and Corinthian orders) and a 57-metre bell tower. His furniture includes paintings by Victor Mottez, a Virgin of Antonio Raggi, and a Daublaine-Callinet organ (1840). Since 2017, it has hosted Masses in Latin and charitable activities, perpetuating its social and spiritual role.

The building, owned by the city of Lille, bears witness to the urban and religious transformations of the region, from the Jesuits to the Revolution, to the conflicts of the eighteenth century. Its architecture and history reflect the influence of the Roman Baroque and the adaptation of places of worship to community needs.

The sources also mention its role in the 1789 General States, where 434 deputies from the Lille bailliage met. Today, it remains an active place of worship, mixing artistic heritage (sculptures, stained glass) and contemporary commitments, such as maraudes for the homeless organized by the Saint-Vaast group.

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