Charles De Gaulle's birthplace undergoes a major facelift in Lille - 20 Minutes

We often forget it but Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille. The General was born on November 22, 1890 at 9 rue Princesse, in the heart of Old Lille. If he grew up in Paris and ended his days in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, De Gaulle uttered his first cry in the house of his Lille grandparents, a bourgeois residence of the 18th century.

Open to the public since 1983, the building will undergo a major facelift on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the General's birth. A renovation of 3.5 million euros funded by the Department of the North but also by corporate sponsorship and a collection of donations. Jean-René Lecerf, president of the Department of the North, explains the reason for this facelift.

The house of his childhood memories

“We have to do work to reinforce this house, inherited from the 18th century. And we thought it would be a shame to stop there, and that we had to take advantage of this work to restore the authenticity of the birthplace Charles De Gaulle by trying to find what the house was between 1890 and 1912 "

For 22 years, the General took advantage of this family home until the death of his grandmother. “This house was the kingdom of Bonne-maman, her grandmother. It is the house in which he was born but it is especially the reunion between cousins. It really is all the slightly magical moments of childhood that took place in this house, ”says Marie Lefevre, director of the birthplace of Charles De Gaulle.

If all goes well, the house should reopen on November 22, 2020, the anniversary of 130 years of little Charles De Gaulle who will become (very) tall.

Lille

Lille: A collection organized to renovate the birthplace of Charles de Gaulle

  • History
  • Charles de gaulle
  • Heritage
  • Lille
  • House