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Origin and history

The Rihour Palace, located in Place Rihour in Lille, is the last vestige of a 15th century palace built by the Dukes of Valois-Bourgogne, sovereigns of the Burgundy State. Built between 1453 and 1473 on a marshy land near the Poissonceaux Canal, it was designed by architect Evrard de Mazières. Despite fragile materials (stone of Lezennes and brick, against the will of Philip the Good), it became a symbol of ducal power, preceded by a wooden barrier decorated with heraldic statues.

Over the centuries, the palace suffered several fires (1700, 1756) and transformations, notably during Louis XV, which briefly stayed there in 1744. After its acquisition by the city in 1664 to make it a "city house", it was partially rebuilt in the 19th century in a neo-renaissance style by Charles Benvignat. A fire in 1916, aggravated by curfew and lack of water, destroyed much of the building, sparing only the 15th century chapel, the honorary staircase and some arcades.

Ranked a historic monument in 1875, the Rihour Palace today retains only late Gothic elements: the guard room (now tourist office), the room of the Conclave (former ducal chapel) and a staircase with revolution. These remains, surrounded by the Monument to the Dead since 1929, bear witness to its turbulent history, between Ducal power, municipal life and warrior destruction. The chapel, once decorated with paintings by Arnould de Vuelz (the sketches of which are preserved at the Hospice Countess Museum), also served as a place of justice.

The vaulted cellars, still present under the square, recall the original size of the palace, organized in quadrilateral around a court of honor. In 2004, during Lille European Capital of Culture, the site hosted an exhibition by Vasarely and saw the reconstruction of its bell tower, marking its heritage rehabilitation.

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