Perhaps you’ve passed by unassuming entrances like this one before. Today we will explore Cour Serrure. Lille is full of hidden gems like Cour Serrure. It is a testament to the city’s rich past. These courées are typical houses in the North of France. They are characteristic of its industrial development. They also form part of Lille’s architectural heritage.
Cour Serrure is a reminder of a time when Lille was at the heart of industrial activity. These courées once provided housing for the working class. They were often overcrowded. They served as housing for the most disadvantaged classes for nearly four centuries before gradually disappearing. Today the surviving courées are witnesses of an era not so long ago.
A courée is a group of small similar houses. They are all located around a courtyard. The courtyard is connected to a city artery like a street or avenue. It connects through a very narrow passage. They are different from the cities that are built on the same principle. The courées are not visible from the street. They have a collective outdoor water point and outdoor toilets. This explains the expression “aller à la cour.” It means going to the toilet. Courée houses were not good to live in.
The different houses were very close. This favored epidemics and conflicts between neighbors. In addition they were particularly unhealthy. Poor insulation, humidity, rats and rotten floors were part of everyday life. Courée houses are generally on two levels. They are organized around two rooms without a corridor or outbuilding. A room on the ground floor serves as a kitchen, dining room and toilet. A steep staircase leads to a second room upstairs. The room under the roof serves as a single bedroom.
The first historical mention of courées dates from 1555. A municipal ordinance stipulated that courées, because of the promiscuity between their inhabitants, were a danger for the proliferation of contagious diseases. However this awareness did not lead to a decrease in the number of courées. It was the opposite that occurred. There was significant population growth in the region. There was also a need to house the entire working population near factories. The expansion of Lille in 1858 gave hope that these miserable houses would disappear. But this was just an illusion. In reality little consideration was given to the working class cause. It was only from 1914 that the number of courées began to reduce. It was not until the 1960s that the courées were renovated. The 1970s saw the last courées being cleaned up.
Today some courées still exist. They have been rehabilitated. They benefit from all modern comforts. They belong to individuals who live there. Others rent them out to tourists. You can find them on rue Sainte Catherine. The Cour de la Corderie, Cour Soubespin, and Cour de Pologne are examples. You can also find them in the Wazemmes district. They do not attract the same categories of population. They are paradoxically sought after for their promiscuity. This was once a disadvantage. Now it attracts artists and students.
So as you pass through Cour Serrure, remember the stories it holds. Consider the lives of those who once called these small houses home. It is a reminder of Lille’s industrial past. It is also a testament to the city’s ability to adapt and evolve.