Ancienne église Notre-Dame

What secrets does a church hold when it takes over a century to build? Right here, before the Ancienne église Notre-Dame, time whispers its story. This church, also known as Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille, stands on the site of Lille’s old castle mound. Its history is a tapestry woven with devotion, ambition, and resilience. The tale begins with a statue of the Virgin Mary, a relic from the late 12th century, housed in the Saint-Pierre Collegiate Church. Miracles attributed to the statue ignited a devotion that led to the name Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille, “Our Lady of the Trellis.” The original statue, sadly, was stolen in 1959, and the one we see today in the Ancienne église Notre-Dame is a modern replica by Marie Madeleine Weerts. The Ancienne église Notre-Dame we see today wasn’t the original plan. The initial vision was a grand, neo-Gothic structure inspired by the cathedrals of Reims and Chartres. The first stone was laid in 1854, amidst the celebrations of the six-hundredth anniversary of the first miracles of Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille. However, the project, designed by Charles Leroy, was ambitious and expensive. Financial struggles plagued the construction, leading to numerous interruptions and revisions. What was meant to be a triumph of neo-Gothic architecture became a testament to changing times and architectural styles. The church, envisioned in stone, transitioned to concrete and steel as construction spanned from the 19th to the late 20th century. The final, modern facade wasn’t completed until 1999, a far cry from the original design. This unique blend of old and new gives Ancienne église Notre-Dame its distinct character. The church, initially intended to be a votive chapel, gained the title of “minor basilica” in 1904. With the creation of the Diocese of Lille in 1913, the still-unfinished building became the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille, a cathedral without parishioners. Inside, the blend of styles continues. The apse, the oldest part of the Ancienne église Notre-Dame, is modeled after the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Its luminous beauty contrasts with the modern facade, a “miracle of material” designed by architects Pierre-Louis Carlier and Peter Rice. Light streams through translucent Portuguese marble panels, symbolizing both the Burning Bush and Veronica’s Veil. A rose window by Ladislas Kijno depicts Christ’s resurrection, while a bronze portal by Georges Jeanclos pays homage to the Virgin. The Ancienne église Notre-Dame, finally completed, stands as a unique blend of history, faith, and architectural ingenuity. It’s a story of resilience, a symbol of Lille’s unwavering devotion to Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille.