Wondering how Faches and Thumesnil got hitched? The story of Faches-Thumesnil is quite interesting. It is a French commune in the Nord department of northern France. This area is south of Lille. It forms part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille.
Faches-Thumesnil’s story starts on the Mélantois plateau. The village of Faches and its hamlet Thumesnil were separated by fields. Faches first appeared in 1104 as “Facis”. This meant “uncultivated land”.
Thumesnil showed up in 1184 in Seclin’s register. The name’s origin is less clear. “Mesnil” may come from “mansionile”. That is a term for a dwelling with land. “Thu” might be a Germanic word for “farm”.
It took over 800 years for the town’s name to form. A railway stop in 1846 used the name Faches-Thumesnil. Villagers wanted Faches and Thumesnil to be separate. They sent a letter to the Mayor on January 22, 1899. Defining the border was a problem. This stopped the separation.
During World War I, French troops fought near Faches-Thumesnil. They also fought near Ronchin. This was in October 1914. The Germans captured Lille on October 12, 1914. Lille remained occupied until 1918.
The town council settled on Faches-Thumesnil in 1951. They removed the accent mark on the “a”.
Faches-Thumesnil is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. It falls under the arrondissement of Lille. It is also within the Nord department and Hauts-de-France region.
The arms of Faches-Thumesnil tell a story too. The blazon is quartered. The 1st and 4th quarters show a lion over six gold coins. The 2nd and 3rd quarters display a silver shield. Three gold stars sit above.
The name “Faches” comes from Latin “faces”. Faces means “uncultivated land”. “Thumesnil” has older forms like “Thumeries”.
The Sainte-Marguerite d’Antioche church has existed since the 11th century. It has been added to in the 13th, 16th and 18th centuries. It features columns from the 13th century. Inside are an altar with painted medallions from 1699. Also featured are baptismal fonts from the 15th century. You will see wood panelling and confessionals from the 18th century too. The church sits on Place du Général de Gaulle.
The Sacré-Cœur church was built around 1850. Charles Leroy designed it. He was a famous architect. He also designed the Notre-Dame de la Treille cathedral in Lille.
Faches-Thumesnil is twinned with several towns. These include Cattolica in Italy. Stolberg in Germany is another. St Neots in the UK is one too. Tinkaré in Mali is also a twin town. The town also sponsors Adămuș in Romania.
Today, Faches-Thumesnil is a dynamic part of the Lille metropolitan area. It blends its long history with modern life. It has about 18,310 residents. The town continues to evolve. It balances urban development with preserving its unique identity.