La Vieille Bourse, Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
In the 17th Century, under pressure from the city’s tradesmen and stockbrokers who wanted a place to meet in private, the magistrates of Lille persuaded the king to establish a stock exchange identical to that of Antwerp.
Work started in March 1652 under the supervision of the municipal architect Julien Destré, and was completed in October 1653. In 1921, the Vieille Bourse’s status as a historical monument earned it a number of renovations, which continued in 1989 with the repairing of the internal and external façades, the courtyard and galleries, by the patronage association of the Vieille Bourse.
This policy of enhancing and safeguarding the building endures to this day and the latest restoration was only just recently carried out. The Vieille Bourse, the jewel in the crown of 17th Century Flemish architecture, today consists of 24 identical houses with richly ornate façades surrounding the cloister.
The building, which seamlessly blends into the surroundings and daily way of life of the region, is now a place where chess players meet to do battle and florists and booksellers set up stall. It also hosts various events and, every spring, the famed ‘Printemps de la Vieille Bourse’ festival, which was first held in 1995.
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