Lille Cathedral, Lille (must see)

The venerated statue of Our Lady of the Treille, traditionally associated with miraculous events, was housed in Lille’s Collegiate Church of Saint Peter from the beginning of the 13th century until the French Revolution. Its name has traditionally been linked to the gilded iron trellis surrounding it. When the church was destroyed, the statue was saved, and eventually given to Saint Catherine’s Church.

In 1853, politician and businessman Charles Kolb-Bernard and his cousin, Abbé Charles Bernard, established a commission to build a magnificent new church in honor of Our Lady of the Treille. An international architectural competition launched in 1854 required designs inspired by the early-13th-century Gothic architecture of cathedrals such as Reims, Amiens, and Chartres.

The original scheme was extremely ambitious, calling for a building approximately 433 feet, long, with spires rising more than 377 feet. Financial difficulties, wars, and repeated interruptions prevented the project from being completed as originally envisioned. Construction continued in stages for 145 years, and the cathedral’s modern western façade was finally inaugurated in 1999.

The façade’s central section forms a 98-foot, pointed arch filled with 110 thin panels of translucent white marble. The façade was conceived by architect Pierre-Louis Carlier, with structural engineering by Peter Rice. Its circular window, represents the Resurrection, while the monumental bronze entrance portal was created by sculptor Georges Jeanclos.

The result is a vast neo-Gothic cathedral with a distinctly contemporary façade. In addition to religious services, it hosts concerts, exhibitions, and other cultural events. The modern crypt contains the Sacred Art Center, which displays contemporary works from the Delaine Collection devoted largely to the Passion of Christ.