Place de General de Gaulle, Lille, France

---

Named after President General Charles de Gaulle, who was born in Lille in 1890, Place de General de Gaulle, this is the central meeting point in Lille. Bustling with caffes and tourists, the Plce plays host to a market on regular occasions. In the middle of the Place stands The Goddess, by Theodore Bra of Douai. This sculpture, on a high column, stands in memory of the Austrian siege of 1792. Despite the onslaught of 35,000 Austrian soldiers the townsfolk bravely stood their ground and were victorious. The sculpture originally topped the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but was returned to Lille, standing in Place de Rihour for three years before being moved to its current location in 1845.

---

Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Lille, France
Photo credit: © K J Bennett / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1792, 1845, arc, bra, charles, column, de, douai, france, gaulle, general, goddess, lille, place, siege, theodore, travel, triomphe