“Does anyone know what this peculiar piece of wall is?” I ask. Today, we’re standing before a remnant of the Ancien Moulin Saint-Pierre. It stands attached to the Hospice Comtesse on Rue de la Monnaie. This wall is a vestige of Lille’s past. The Ancien Moulin was a water mill. Countess Jeanne de Flandres gifted it to the Hospice Comtesse. Its first construction dates back to 1237.
The Hospice Comtesse now houses the city’s museum of ethnography and folklore. Its decor evokes a 17th-century Flemish religious house. The Hospice Comtesse shares its origins with the Ancien Moulin. Countess Jeanne de Flandres founded it in 1237. She sought salvation for herself and her late husband. She donated the land to establish a hospital. This hospital would aid the sick, the poor, and pilgrims. The complex included a church, a hospital, and the water mill.
Observe this fragment of the Ancien Moulin Saint-Pierre closely. You’ll notice it isn’t the original construction. Little remains of the original mill. We see only three windows, a walled-up door, and another piece of wall. These fragments stand on the Hospice Comtesse building. Above the door, you can see the date 1649. This suggests the mill was rebuilt after a fire in March 1649. The hospital suffered fires in 1468 and again in 1649.
Look at the coat of arms on the left window. It displays the arms of the Dukes of Burgundy and Flanders. This represents the protection granted to the Hospice Comtesse. Jean sans Peur, also known as John I of Burgundy, offered this protection. He was a Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders. He was also responsible for assassinating his cousin. This act reignited the Hundred Years’ War.
Where did the water come from to power this Ancien Moulin? The Vieux-Lille was once crisscrossed by numerous canals. The current Avenue du Peuple Belge was the Basse-Deûle. The Pont Neuf, a bridge that spanned it, still exists. The Canal Saint-Pierre flowed into the Basse-Deûle. This action powered the mill’s water wheels on each side.
Originally a simple mill, it expanded into an industrial complex by the early 18th century. Another fire struck in the early 20th century. The Ancien Moulin Saint-Pierre was destroyed. Only this fragment survived and was restored in 1982.
In 2011, the association Renaissance du Lille Ancien proposed reconstructing the mill. The idea was to recreate the original form. They aimed to piece together scattered documents from the late 19th century. As of now, the project remains an idea.
This fragment of the Ancien Moulin Saint-Pierre reminds us of Lille’s canal-filled past. It also marks a passage to the Îlot Comtesse. This is a place beloved by the people of Lille especially on beautiful days. It beckons us to remember Lille’s history. It also invites us to appreciate the resilience of its heritage. Let’s take a moment to appreciate this small but significant piece of Lille’s story.