Palais Rihour, Gothic palace in Lille, France
Palais Rihour is a Gothic palace in Lille and stands as one of the few remaining structures of its era with notable rooms including a guard chamber, conclave hall, and sacristy. The interiors are marked by stained glass windows and intricately designed vaults that display medieval craftsmanship today.
Philip the Good initiated construction of the palace in 1453 on marshy ground, with architect Evrard de Mazieres completing the work roughly two decades later. The building survived numerous changes and transformations across the following centuries.
The building displays late Gothic features with pointed arch windows and ribbed vaults that reflect the taste of Burgundian rulers. These architectural details shape the interior today and give the structure its distinctly medieval character.
The ground floor houses the Lille Tourist Office, where visitors can find information and purchase local artisanal products. This makes the location easily accessible and a good starting point for planning activities around the city.
A fire in April 1916 destroyed substantial portions of the building and resulted in the loss of important municipal records. This event had profound effects on the surviving rooms and how the structure appears today.
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