Crossword Dictionary

LILLE 

Lille, city, capital of Nord département and of the Hauts-de-France région, northern France, situated on the Deûle River, 136 miles (219 km) north-northeast of Paris, and 9 miles (14 km) from the Belgian frontier by road. Lille began as a village between arms of the Deûle River. Count Baldwin IV of Flanders fortified it in the 11th century. The medieval town was destroyed or changed hands several times. Louis XIV besieged and claimed it in 1667. After being captured by the duke of Marlborough in 1708, it was finally ceded to France in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht. Lille was damaged and also occupied by the Germans during World Wars I and II. 

Much of the demise of industry has been compensated by the growth of tertiary activities. Lille has long played an important role as a regional service and administrative centre. Notably, it is the home of several universities and a number of hospitals. This role has been reinforced by the relocation to Lille of public services such as the central reservation centre for French Railways. Lille is also a major research centre, specializing in fields such as medicine (the Pasteur Institute and the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies) and electronics.

The fortifications around the old city have been destroyed, but the majestic archway, the Porte de Paris (1682), still stands. The old hospital Hospice Comtesse, founded in 1236, was rebuilt in the 15th and 17th centuries. The Vieille Bourse, a 17th-century building in typically Flemish style, stands near the square named for General Charles de Gaulle, a native son. The museum has one of the richest art collections in France, with paintings dating from the 15th to the 20th century.