Rue du Pont Neuf

Along the Rue du Pont Neuf, echoes of history mingle with the present. This street, located in Vieux-Lille, stretches from Rue Négrier to the intersection of Rue de Gand and Rue des Bateliers. It gracefully arches over Avenue du Peuple-Belge via the Pont-Neuf, from which the street derives its name. The Rue du Pont Neuf wasn’t always a single entity. It was formed from the merging of two older streets. Before the French Revolution, the section from Rue Saint-André to the Pont-Neuf bridge was known as Rue des Chanoines. The section beyond the bridge, leading to the old city walls, was called Rue du Bastion. This name came from the Bastion de la Madeleine, a part of Vauban’s fortifications that once stood here. The merging of these two streets after the Revolution created the Rue du Pont Neuf we know today. The street’s creation is linked to the expansion of Lille in 1670. The medieval walls were demolished starting in 1672, making way for new districts. The Pont-Neuf bridge itself was built in 1701, spanning the Basse-Deûle canal. It connected the new royal quarter, accessible from Rue Saint-André, with the area around the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church. The Rue du Pont Neuf holds architectural treasures. Several buildings along the street are classified as historical monuments, showcasing Lille’s rich past. The buildings at numbers 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15, as well as number 2 Rue des Archives, which sits on the corner of Rue du Pont Neuf, are all protected. One notable structure is the building at numbers 11, 13, and 15 Rue du Pont Neuf. In 1827, industrialist Philibert Vrau purchased this 17th-century building and established a linen mill. This mill, operating under the brand name “Le fil au chinois,” produced sewing threads. By 1859, the business employed around sixty male workers. The constant tension from the steam-powered machinery’s transmission belts, pulling on the exterior wall for a century, caused the facades to lean inwards. Across from the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church once stood the Convent of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit. Following the Revolution, the convent became national property, was demolished, and replaced by a tobacco factory in 1811. This factory operated until 1965 and was finally demolished in 1972, later replaced by a real estate complex and the Square du Pont-Neuf. The Beestro, located at number 10, offers a unique experience today, allowing visitors to sample a variety of beers and regional cuisine.