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. Therefore, 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 Esperance Foundation was then created to find donors capable of financing the development work. The renovation is on track and the site ended up being launched in 2019. Now complete, it has brought the crypt back to life, 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 various 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 goldsmithery from the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Enough to reinforce the mysterious side of this crypt.