La Vieille Bourse, Lille, France

The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) in Lille is the former building of the Lille Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is located between the Grand Place and the Place du Théâtre and is considered to be one of the landmarks of the city centre. The building is in the form of a quadrangle, made up of 24 identical houses enclosing an inner courtyard, which serves as a meeting place for booksellers, florists, chess players and tourists. This site is served by the Rihour metro station.

In 1651 the City of Lille obtained from Philip IV of Spain the authorization to build 'a bourse for the use of merchants that will be surrounded and encloses 24 houses'. The city sold the 24 plots of land around the market square to traders, and supported the construction of the galleries, paving the inner courtyard, and the four entryways. The building was constructed between 1652 and 1653 under the direction of Julien Destrée, in order to offer to the merchants a majestic monument comparable to that of Antwerp. The architecture is typical Flemish Renaissance of the 17th century.

The Lille Stock Exchange opened in 1861 in the building. It was not a very liquid exchange: only 3.4% of the capital changed hands each year.

In 1921, the new stock change building (the Chamber of Commerce) opened, and the Vielle Bourse was vacated. It was classified as a historical monument the same year, and renamed to Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange).

References:

Wikipedia

Miscellaneous historic sites in France

User Reviews

Roelof Van Der Walt (2 years ago)
Stunning building, all built out of jealousy and for making money

Andrea Robles (3 years ago)
Worth the visit if it is not raining. Passed by after the rain and what they sell is amazing. Bring cash.

Alex Drummond (3 years ago)
The old stock exchange (former building of the Lille Chamber of Commerce and Industry) is a very interesting building near the Grand Place. In the courtyard inside, there is a market selling second-hand books, old posters, toys, etc. Worth a look, it gets very busy on weekends and holidays.

Alper KÖPRÜLÜ (3 years ago)
The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) in Lille is the former building of the Lille Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is located between the Grand Place and the Place du Théâtre and is considered to be one of the landmarks of the city centre. The building is in the form of a quadrangle, made up of 24 identical houses enclosing an inner courtyard. The place now is a meeting place for booksellers, florists, chess players and tourists.

Zignzag (3 years ago)
Food, Shopping and amazing architecture all in one place. All within minutes of walking out of Gare Lille Flanders. A must see and do place.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright missbutterflies

Historic Site of the week

Saint-Émilion Old Town

Saint-Émilion is a picturesque medieval village renowned for its well-preserved architecture and vineyards. The town and surrounding vineyards was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, owing to its long, living history of wine-making, Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.

An oppidum was built on the hill overlooking the present-day city in Gaulish times, before the regions was annexed by Augustus in 27 BC. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. In the 4th century, the Latin poet Ausonius lauded the fruit of the bountiful vine.

Because the region was located on the route of the Camino de Santiago, many monasteries and churches were built during the Middle Ages, and in 1199, while under Plantagenet rule, the town was granted full rights.

La Vieille Bourse

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Saint-Émilion Old Town