Palace of Fine Arts

Much larger than the Grand-Place, this square was built after the Middle Ages when the city was enlarged by Vauban. It is the centre of the new perimeter of Lille. Initially called Place Napoléon III. It is supported by power and culture, with on one side the prefecture built at the time of the reorganization of departments by Napoleon III, and on the other side the Palace of Fine Arts, which is one of the very first museums in the provinces and is especially gigantic! It is said to be the second largest museum in the country after the Louvre. The palace houses prestigious paintings by Goya, Rubens, Delacroix, David, Courbet, as well as ceramics, a drawing cabinet, and 18th century models of fortified cities of the North and Belgium designed by Vauban. In the center of the square stands the Fountain of the Republic, as well as a rather original amphitheater, built like a hole in the ground and connected to the subway station.