Lost to time yet vibrant in memory. That is the Porte de Valenciennes. We stand now where it once stood. Imagine Lille as a fortified city. The Porte de Valenciennes was a key passage. It connected Lille to its suburbs towards Valenciennes and Fives.
In 1863 the Porte de Valenciennes was inaugurated. This followed Napoleon III’s decision in 1858 to expand Lille. Lille annexed Moulins Wazemmes Fives and Esquermes. To integrate these new areas Lille demolished old ramparts and gates south of the city. These extended along Boulevards de la Liberté and Louis XIV. The Porte de Valenciennes like the Porte d’Arras was relatively low. It did not exceed the ramparts’ height. It featured four arches. Two large ones in the center handled road traffic. Smaller arches on each side were for pedestrians. The gate lacked majestic decorative elements.
The Porte de Valenciennes was situated at Place Guy-de-Dampierre formerly Place de Valenciennes. This is east of the Moulins district. The gate was slightly offset north relative to the current metro station of the same name.
Lille’s old tram lines T and V passed through it in the early 20th century. On the Lille side the gate was easily accessible. Rue de Cambrai Rue de Valenciennes and Rue de Trévise provided access. Boulevards de Belfort and du Maréchal Vaillant also led here. On the exterior side it served Rue du Faubourg de Valenciennes and Lille Fives station.
Interestingly when Lille expanded in 1858 the new ramparts did not fully include all annexed villages to the south and east. Fives served by the Porte de Valenciennes remained entirely outside the fortifications. Near the Porte de Valenciennes on Boulevard de Belfort towards the Porte de Douai was a major ammunition depot. This was the Arsenal des Dix-Huit Ponts. It exploded on the night of January 10 to 11 in 1916. The explosion caused extensive damage and significant loss of life. There were 104 deaths and 400 injuries.
Like all city gates the Porte de Valenciennes had a customs office. This acted as a local customs point for the municipality. It collected duties on goods entering the city. It was abolished at the start of World War II.
Since 2017 a skate park is under the Porte de Valenciennes metro station. Inside this metro station you can admire a giant hand sculpture by the artist César.
Unlike Lille’s six still standing gates the Porte de Valenciennes was destroyed in 1935. This followed the dismantling of the ramparts. It was replaced by a large housing complex composed of apartment blocks. These were also demolished in the early 2000s.
Today the Porte de Valenciennes is a key transit point for Lille residents and those from surrounding towns. It remains an important passage between the Fives and Moulins districts. It also serves traffic from the Lille ring road. Metro line 2 has stopped here since April 1 1989 at the Porte de Valenciennes station. The station bears the name of what once stood here. The Porte de Valenciennes is gone but not forgotten.