Rue Fontaine Del Saulx

Mystery shrouds the Rue Fontaine Del Saulx. This Lille street holds a secret. It whispers of a time long ago. The Rue Fontaine Del Saulx got its name in 1866. It translates to “Fountain of the Willows”. This refers to a mythical spring at the foot of a willow tree. Legend says this is where Lyderic, Lille’s founder, was found as a baby. Around 620 AD, he was supposedly left in the “Bois sans mercy” (Merciless Wood). An hermit discovered him and a doe nursed him. The Rue Fontaine Del Saulx also connects to a quieter passage. This passage, also named Fontaine del Saulx, retains its original narrow dimensions. It offers a glimpse into the street’s past, before it was widened in the 1860s. This fountain and willow tree were said to be near the current Palais Rameau. They were located along the Fourchon River. This river was a branch of the Deûle. It powered the “Moulin del Saulx” (Willow Mill) until 1670. The creation of the Canal des Stations in 1565 and the Canal Vauban in 1670 partially dried up the Fourchon. This led to the mill’s abandonment and eventual covering of the river in the 1860s. The Rue Fontaine Del Saulx originated as a path along the “Blanc Ballot”. This area was a relatively dry spot within the flood zone designed to protect Lille during sieges. It lay between Lille’s ramparts and a dyke with a moat and redoubts. Originally, the Blanc Ballot was located within Wazemmes’ military servitude zone. A path through its center became the present-day Rue Boucher-de-Perthes around 1845. By 1855, the area’s outskirts began to urbanize as an extension of the Faubourg de la Barre. However, the Blanc Ballot residents preferred to remain part of Wazemmes, rejecting the idea of becoming a separate municipality. Their request to stay with Wazemmes was approved. The demolition of the fortifications and dyke in the 1860s drastically changed the Blanc Ballot’s surroundings. This paved the way for urban development after Lille annexed Wazemmes, Esquermes, Moulins, and Fives in 1858. The area was flattened, erasing traces of the old dyke, redoubts, and the Blanc Ballot’s slight elevation. The Rue du Contour du Blanc Ballot then became part of a new network of roads built after the 1858 annexation. Today, the Rue Fontaine Del Saulx is mostly lined with residential houses built around 1900, replacing the mid-19th-century buildings. The Rue Fontaine Del Saulx is a tranquil street near the bustling city center. It offers a peaceful retreat from the livelier Rue Masséna, Rue Solférino, and Wazemmes. It stands as a testament to Lille’s rich history and urban development.