“Where it all began”
Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille on November 22, 1890, in the home of his maternal grandparents. For him, it was the place of “joyful reunions” with his Bonne Maman, his cousins, and his uncles and aunts. Step through the carriage entrance at 9 rue Princesse and into the history of the three families who spent time there: the Maillot, the de Corbie, and of course the de Gaulle. For young Charles, this house was the childhood home we all carry in our memories. “With age, childhood always comes to the fore. And if I could be myself, it would probably be on rue Princesse, where I was born.” Words of Charles de Gaulle reported by André Frossard in the 1960s. The Maison natale reflects an era, a way of living and thinking at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. To discover it is to immerse yourself in the heart of bourgeois family values, to understand the formation of the identity, personality, and thinking of the future President. Throughout his life, Charles de Gaulle remained attached to this house and this neighborhood, drawing from his northern roots the values that sharpened his social conscience. Turned into a museum in 1983, listed as a historic monument, and awarded the Maison des Illustres label, the Maison is owned by the Fondation Charles de Gaulle. It has been managed by the Département du Nord since 2014. Its full renovation in 2020, the discovery of the original decor, family testimonies, and an acquisition campaign for furniture and decorative art objects made it possible to recreate an authentic bourgeois Lille residence from the Belle Époque. This immersive scenography takes you into the intimacy of Charles de Gaulle’s childhood.
Event from the official agenda of the Ville de Lille; venue: Maison natale Charles de Gaulle; address: 9 rue Princesse 59000 LILLE.
Source: Ville de Lille