Place aux Oignons

Place aux Oignons is a small, enclosed pedestrian square in the heart of Old Lille, distinguished by its cluster of seventeenth and eighteenth-century brick houses. Despite the name, which translates to Onion Square, its origins have no connection to produce markets. Historians trace the title to the Latin word dominium, referring to a medieval fortress of the Counts of Flanders that once stood on this ground. No trace of those fortifications remains today, and the site eventually became a hub for artisan weavers who occupied these houses and operated looms in their cramped attics and cellars.