Rue des Stations

Did the name Rue des Stations ever strike you as peculiar? Here in Lille, the Rue des Stations whispers tales of pilgrims and forgotten waterways. The street stretches from the bustling Place des Halles Centrales (Rue Solférino) to the Place Genevièves (Vauban Esquermes). It’s a relatively quiet street, nestled between the lively Rue Léon-Gambetta and the grand Rue Nationale. Rue des Stations isn’t known for its shops. It’s known for its history. The name, you see, comes from the seven “stations” or chapels built in 1635. These marked a pilgrimage route to Notre-Dame-d’Esquermes. Imagine devoted travelers pausing at each station, offering prayers on their journey. In 1949, Brother André Bouton crafted seven ceramic plaques. These plaques, installed on the facades of buildings along Rue des Stations, commemorate the original resting places. You can still find them today, echoes of a bygone era. But the story goes deeper. Before the chapels, before the pilgrims, there was a canal. Built in 1565, the Canal des Stations flowed along this route. It enhanced the water supply to the fortifications, branching off from the Arbonnoise River. The canal meandered near what is now the Place des Halles Centrales. It then passed close to the present-day Rue de Puebla. It followed Vauban’s flood defense and continued southeast along Lille’s fortified walls, near today’s Boulevard de la Liberté. It eventually reached the Canal du Haut-Hibernois near the present-day Place Jacquard. The canal was covered over in 1883, leaving no visible trace. But imagine the scene: boats plying the waterway, people strolling along the banks. Rue des Stations was laid out in 1863. It replaced older paths and streets. The chemin des stations, rue des Longs-Murs, petite rue d’Antin, rue de l’écluse, rue de l’ancien cimetière, and sentier des stations all contributed to the street’s present form. Today, as you walk along Rue des Stations, you’ll mostly see 19th and early 20th-century buildings. Look closely, and you’ll also spot a few older structures, remnants of Wazemmes before it became part of Lille in 1858. One such relic, a rural house, stands at the corner of Rue Charles-Quint. Rue des Stations is a quiet street with a vibrant past. It’s a place where whispers of pilgrims and the gentle lapping of canal waters linger in the air.