“Ever wonder about a village that was almost entirely destroyed in war?” That’s Illies. Today, we’re exploring Illies, a village in the Nord department of the Hauts-de-France region. It’s a place with a past marked by destruction and resilience.
Illies has been around for a long time. The first written mention of Illies dates back to 966. A document signed by King Lothaire refers to it as aSeigneurie at that time. Over time, different lords annexed lands to form the village.
In 972, Count Arnulphe II of Flanders gave some land in Illies to the Abbey of St-Pierre of Gand. Guillaume de Béthune donated lands to the Abbey of Loos in 1240. Back then, the seigneury of Illies included a manor house. It also had a windmill and rents owed by twenty hosts.
The village’s history is also marked by conflict. In 1489, troubles in Flanders led to bands of brigands roaming the countryside. They pillaged, murdered, and committed acts of violence in Illies. War broke out between France and Spain in 1647. The French were laying siege to La Bassée and built trenches near Illies. The Prince de Ligne tried to break through with 2,500 soldiers. However, the French were ready for battle.
In 1649, the Comte de Broglie ordered Illies to be set on fire. The village was pillaged again in 1708 during the siege of Lille. Both the French and the Spanish took part. During World War I, Illies was on the front line. Battles between British and German armies destroyed 96% of the village. After the war, Illies received the Croix de Guerre.
The population of Illies dropped from 1,471 in 1914 to 1,223 in 1921. Today, Illies has been rebuilt. It covers 7.9 square kilometers.
Two streams run through Illies. They are called the Broelle and the Libaude. People have lived here for a very long time. There are megaliths and prehistoric materials found in the area. During the Roman Empire, a wealthy villa was built here.
In the 12th century, Cistercian monks from the Abbey of Loos settled in Illies. They were drawn by the fertile land. They built dwellings and workplaces. The abbey hall and the farm gate remain as testaments to the era.
The Melun family founded an elegant brick castle. It was destroyed during World War I. There are still some blockhouses in the village. The Delerue factory provided work for the people of Illies. The village was paralyzed in 1940 when the Germans arrived. The residents had to evacuate again. The German occupation lasted over 1,500 days.
Illies experienced an industrial boom after 1946. The Delerue, Appourchaux, Carle, and Malbranque factories opened their doors again. More recently, Delcy took over. Illies and Herlies have developed leisure activities.
The Delerue distillery was built in the late 19th century. In 1873, the Delerue brothers built a furnace for potash production. The beet distillery operated until 1905. In 1906 and 1907, the Delerue perfume factory was authorized to produce certain chemicals. There was an explosion related to nitrification. The factory was authorized to make synthetic perfumes. The distillery was rebuilt after being destroyed during World War I. The Delerue alcohol distillery stopped its activities at an unknown date. From 1965 until its destruction in 1997, it was occupied by the Delcy salting factory.