Could those walls speak. The Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg has witnessed centuries unfold. We stand before a testament to faith resilience and the passage of time. This is not just a church. It is a landmark. It is a repository of local history.
The Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg stands in Flers-lez-Lille now a district of Villeneuve-d’Ascq. People often call it Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg. This distinguishes it from the Église Saint-Pierre d’Ascq in the neighboring village of Ascq. Its portal and doors are classified as historical monuments. The rest of the church has been listed since 1977.
A religious building existed here before Lille was even founded in the 11th century. Tombs discovered beneath the choir might predate the 11th century. The Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg underwent major expansion in the 15th century. The nave features sandstone columns from the 16th century.
The tower of Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg dates back to 1520 to 1530. It replaced an older tower. This earlier tower had narrow loopholes. It was built for the defense of the area. It belonged to the Roques-ascquoise seigneury.
Imagine the summer of 1566. Iconoclasts stormed the Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg. They destroyed statues. The church depended on the collegiate church of Saint-Pierre de Lille in the 16th century. In 1850 the Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg was covered with a barrel vault. The bell tower and portal date from the 16th century.
Inside Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg are two chapels. One is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It dates from the 13th century. The other is for Saint Peter. It was built before 1574.
In 2013 Villeneuve d’Ascq renovated the belfry of Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg. The oak structure of the bell frame was completely replaced. The belfry was rotated a quarter turn. This realigned the bells’ swinging with the nave’s axis. The three bells were put back into service. Two had been immobilized. The floor was repaired.
The Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg is listed on the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments. The Latin cross-shaped building faces east. It has a square tower that is 35 meters high.
The carved wooden entrance portal features a trumeau. It showcases a sculpture of Saint Peter sheltered under a canopy. Above the statue the portal displays the arms of Charles V. The Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg’s nave has sandstone columns. It is covered with a barrel vault. The side aisles have plaster ribbed vaults.
The arms of Noyelles-Mailly are engraved on the portal. It is decorated with Charles V’s double-headed eagle. The eagle is framed by the collar of the Golden Fleece. The door is adorned with a representation of Saint Peter.
Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg has been remodeled over the centuries. It retains elements from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The current building dates from the early 16th century reconstruction. Its side walls have 16th-century windows. They are made of hewn blocks of Lezennes chalk. They rest on a sandstone base. The location of the door that once led to the cemetery can be seen on the north face.
The tower of Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg’s bell tower was added to the nave later. A polygonal turret adjoins its north face. It houses a spiral staircase. This allowed access to the old watch room.
The choir at the east end is partially built on the foundations of the 13th-century choir. Its three-sided apse has now walled-up bays. The sacristy is in the corner formed by the choir and the south arm of the false transept. It is the former treasury of the church dating from the 15th century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries alterations appeared. The interior covering was transformed into a lowered vault. This concealed the restoration work. The municipality decided to launch a program of works. This concerned the facades frames and roof of the church. This followed a first project. This was dedicated to the restoration of the belfry in 2013.
Today the Église Saint-Pierre de Flers-Bourg stands as a proud symbol. It connects us to the past. It inspires us to reflect on the enduring power of faith and community. Take a moment to appreciate the layers of history embedded in its stones.