Museum of the gunners

The Musée of the gunners is a museum Lillois installed in old the Couvent of the Town planners (44, rue des Canonniers).

The museum presents a collection of objects relating to the Confrérie of Holy-Bores and to the defense of the town of Lille.

The fellow-members of Holy-Bores lend oath to defend the town of Lille, and to involve themselves regularly for this purpose, in 1483. They take part consequently in the defense of the city with the weapons of artillery. Thus, when Louis XIV, in person, makes the seat of the city, the Gunners fight it. To reward their courage, and their skill, Louis XIV to them guaranteed the maintenance of their privileges, and them octroye two guns of honor.

In 1708, the Gunners take part, at the sides of the French troops, the defense of the city. The main Gunner charon, Jacques Boutry, illustrates himself by his ingenosity to repair the water door, hinge of defense inhabitant of Lille. He will be to reward by the marshal for Boufflers which it annoblit.

The seat of 1792, is most outstanding of the history of the Gunners. The brotherhood of Holy Beard was dissolved, but the fellow-members volunteer all and are useful in the same battalion " Egalité". The resistance of the Inhabitants of Lille is heroic. The Gunners did not leave the ramparts of all the seat, including the Ovigneur captain who learns that its house and its workshops burn, and that his wife is confined during the night even.

The Inhabitants of Lille will choose their Gunners like symbol of their own resistance. Indeed, the goddess of the Town square (place of the de Gaulle general) holds in the hand a blaster, symbol of our gunners. The legends of the Ovigneur captain, and the Gunner Reboux, better gunner of the battalion, which would have succeeds in sending a ball in the heart of an Austrian mortar, also testify to this engoument to the Inhabitants of Lille for their Gunners.

Napoleon Bonaparte will have echo of this resistance. And it is as a consul that it reforms a battalion distinct from the national guard: the Battalion of the Sedentary Gunners of Lille. It offers to them the two Gribeauval guns, presented to the museum, the Hotel which they always live, and gives to the captain Ovigneur, the Legion of Honor. During the First World War, the Gunners fight in Boulogne and Dunkirk, Lille having been declared open city. The Gunners also fight in 1939-1940, they are assigned to the anti-aircraft defense of the Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing zone. They cut down several enemy planes. Since 1997, the battalion is on standby of mission, but there always exists and take part in the demonstrations such as the procession of July 14th in Lille, or the celebrations of their holy owner Mrs Sainte Beard.

The visitor of the museum will find obviously objects relating to the history soldiers such as: Uniform S, rifle S of 1777 with 1945, knives, 2 exceptional parts of gun and the famous Gribeauval, gift of Napoleon Bonaparte with the Gunners, but also of testimonys of the everyday life of the Gunners, and the elements recalling the history of the town of Lille.

External bonds

official site

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