SAINTE-MARIE-MADELEINE CHURCH

It is the only dome (55 m high) in Lille: It is seen from a very far-reaching, massive and dominant, real presence in its neighbourhood of Vieux-Lille - which, moreover, is worth its nickname "Grosse Madeleine". Built by Simon Vollant at Louis XIV's request, it was built on a bastion and equipped with a central circular choir, not banal for the time and still surprising today. The dome was restored by architect Lillois Thomas Gombert in 1711. Presenting a bizarre blend of styles, it is decorated Flemish Renaissance in the choir, while its facade is baroque and its dome recalls the Doric and Corinthian order. Fouled and deserted to cult since 1989, this church has made new skin in the framework of Lille 2004 and now hosts various temporary exhibitions organized by the town hall.