Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former cinema Le Palace, located 129 rue du Quesnoy in Valenciennes, was inaugurated in 1906 under the name of "Popular Cinema" by Louis Bertolotti, coffee maker and ride operator. This pioneering project in the city is part of the expansion of screening rooms in the early twentieth century, responding to an increasing demand for entertainment for popular classes. The room, modest at its beginning, marks the beginning of a family film adventure that will span three generations.

In 1927, the building was completely rebuilt in an Art Deco style with Egyptian influences, inspired by Parisian cinemas such as Le Luxor. Renamed "Le Palace", it becomes a showcase of the exclusive Gaumont-Palace, reflecting the golden age of the neighborhood halls. The architects Faust Spadacini and Mr Rabagliati design a remarkable facade, decorated with mosaics, sculptures and a ironwork grill, while the sculptor Alfred-Alphonse Bottiau creates an allegorical bas-relief in the entrance hall.

Exploited by the Bertolotti family until 1981, the cinema closes its doors in front of the desertion of the neighborhood rooms. Abandoned, the building is rapidly deteriorating: the projection room was destroyed in the 1990s, leaving only the façade and entrance hall. Threatened by destruction as part of an urban requalification program launched in 2015, the building is finally saved by its registration in the Historic Monuments in 2019, protecting its iconic Art Deco elements.

The facade, classified for its marble decorations, mosaics and balcony with a cut-pane bearing the inscription "PALACE", illustrates the influence of Art Deco in the North of France. Although partially demolished, the site remains a symbol of local film heritage, reflecting the evolution of leisure and architecture in the 20th century. The preserved remains, such as the mechanical staircase and the ironwork gate, recall its industrial and artisanal history.

Today, the former Palace is part of an island being rehabilitated, where its preservation raises the question of the reconciliation between heritage memory and urban modernization. Its ranking saved a rare example of architecture dedicated to cinema in Hauts-de-France, while stressing the role of private initiatives, such as that of Louis Bertolotti, in regional cultural diffusion.

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