• Closed for 25 years, the neo-Gothic crypt of Notre-Dame de la Treille cathedral has reopened its doors.

  • Inside, one can discover 1,200 m2 of white stone and brick as well as chapels and tombs.

  • Unknown because it was closed for a long time, this place is now to be discovered or rediscovered

It is a magnificent place but well unknown to most Lille residents.

And for good reason, it had been more than 25 years since the neo-Gothic crypt located under the cathedral of La Treille was closed to the public.

“It was closed for 25 years for two reasons.

To complete the construction of the facade of the cathedral in 1997, the crypt was closed.

And since then, it had not been able to reopen because the regulatory standards for welcoming the public have evolved in 25 years, particularly in terms of smoke extraction, ”says Thomas Sanchez, cultural manager of Lille Cathedral.

A cathedral, owned by the diocese, which cannot receive public funds

Unlike most French cathedrals, which are often owned by cities, Notre-Dame de la Treille, originally created by wealthy industrialists from Lille, has belonged to the diocese of Lille since the post-war period.

As a result, it is impossible for it to obtain public funding.

Everything is therefore based on the private funds of Catholics but when you know that the operating costs of the crypt have been estimated at 300,000 euros, it is difficult under these conditions to go quickly to renovate the place.

7 years ago, the project to reopen the crypt to the public was relaunched.

The Treille Espérance foundation was then created to find donors capable of financing the development work.

The renovation is on track and the site ends up being launched in 2019. Now complete, it has brought life back to the crypt thanks in particular to "a light enhancement via a scenography that magnifies the place", specifies Thomas Sanchez.

Tombs and chapels

All brick and white stone, the crypt extends over 1,200 m2 below the cathedral.

Composed of a choir where the old altar of the cathedral is located as well as a magnificent apsidal chapel, it also contains several chapels where one can find cenotaphs in homage to several large industrial families from Lille who launched the construction places from 1856. Two of them (Philibert Vrau and Camille Feron-Vrau) even have their tombs in the crypt alongside five bishops.

Reopened at the end of April for a video-mapping evening, the crypt should open its doors to the general public (by reservation) this summer.

If an exhibition on the main dates of the construction of the cathedral is installed in the crypt, it is especially the arrival of the treasure in 2023 which should mark the spirits even more.

Never presented to the public, it is composed of pieces of art and silverware from the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

Enough to reinforce the mysterious side of this crypt.

Strasbourg

Strasbourg: Two years of work begin at Notre-Dame cathedral in the Alsatian capital

Paris

Paris: A mysterious lead sarcophagus discovered under Notre-Dame de Paris

  • Lille

  • Hauts-de-France

  • Heritage