Wazemmes

Wazemmes (to pronounce) is popular quarters of Lille. Initially a village, it was connected to the commune of Lille under the Second Empire. An important Maghrebian community resides at it, as well as a community, less important, the Asian ones.

History

The name Wazemmes comes from “Was” (the marsh) and from “hem” (the house). The village of Wazemmes was located out of Right Bank of Deûle, just upstream of Lille. Out of the urban enclosure until the 19th century, it offered spaces for the installation of factories. With them were built courées , mainly in the Racine streets, of Sarrazins and Iena, which almost all were at present destroyed.

Culture

Place de la Solidarité, in the past place of the four ways, rises since 1989 a sculpture of Marco Slinckaert, the ring of Möbius, representing a geometrical form symbolic system, symbolic system which escapes its inhabitants who call it the snake.

Wazemmes is before a whole popular quarters, working in the past, the factories of the district (mainly of the breweries and spinning mills) having ceased all their activity.

The massive surge theBohemian ones since the beginning of the years 2000, attracted by the “authentic” aspect and “nature” of the district and its inhabitants, to less than one kilometer of the downtown area, contributes to drive out the poorest inhabitants of them towards the peripheral districts like Lille-South.

This same news population allowed by her desires and its purchasing power the emergence of a " pole culturel". The House madness of Wazemmes, wanted by the Town hall, within the framework of installations related to the activities of Lille 2004, but especially a network of bars " branchés" and of concert halls. Connected, but not smart (principle sore par excellence). Biplane, Viziteur, Go-Zen…

The district accommodates every May 1st since 2002 the International festival of soup.

Important places

Place du gone

The Place of the market of Wazemmes is a central place of the district. Every Tuesday, Thursdays and especially Sunday, the Marché of Wazemmes gathers a big number of tradesmen and street pedlars. It is an intense place of life allowing the inhabitants of the district but also to the remainder of the inhabitants of Lille to come to supply itself in fresh produce (vegetables, fruits, meat, fish…) and in small products necessary to the daily life. The market is also reinforced by the markets located between the Place of the New Adventure and the Street Gambetta, they shelter more sedentary tradesmen proposing inter alia, fish shop, butchery,…

Church Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul

The church Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul is on the Place of the market of Wazemmes. Under the church a crypt is which shelters two clubs of Escrime of the city, Vauban Lille and the LUC fencing.

See too

the band with Paulo (Musicians of Lille, belonging to the decoration of Wazemmes)

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