The Charms of Cysoing
All about our twin town of Cysoing. The Town of Cysoing
Population: 4,225
Area: 3363 acres
Location: A small market town in Northern France.
20 minutes from Lille/35 minutes from Brussels/1 hour from Paris/1 hour 40 minutes by Eurostar from London Waterloo to Lille.
Tourism A Tourist Office is located on 43 Place Faidherbe, 59830, Cysoing.
Telephone + 33 3.20.79.46.15.
www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tourisme/CYSOING.htm
Email: officedetourisme.cysoing@wanadoo.fr
Hall Of Fame
“La Chapelle aux Arbres”, on the edge of Cysoing, was re-built in 1934 on the exact site where the French King Philippe Auguste defeated the coalition forces of the German Emperor Othon IV in 1214.
“La Pyramide”, a 17 metre high obelisk, was erected in 1750 in honour of King Louis XV who stayed in the Abbey of Cysoing on the eve of his victory at Fontenoy in 1745.
Charles de Gaulle was born in nearby Lille in 1890.
Today, its heroes are the cyclists who participate in the famous ‘Paris-Roubaix’ Cycle Race; their route passes over the cobblestones of the town of Cysoing every year.
Environment and Wildlife
Cysoing is situated in “La Pevele”, a plain on the border of Belgium, between the valleys of “La Marque” and “La Scarpe”.
The region is rural; farming and cultivation are still important, notably with the celebrated northern chicory.
The fertile agricultural land of the Cysoing plain is home to fine characteristic homesteads of stone and brick buildings, with enclosed square courtyards and gateways often topped with a pigeon-loft.
In the woods and meadows that border Cysoing, deer and herons can regularly be seen.
Day Trips
Ten miles from Cysoing, is Lille, the old capital city of Flanders; a Flemish town that was made European City of Culture in 2004. Attractions include the Fine Arts Museum which is the largest in France, after the Louvre; a Natural History and Geology Museum; and the General de Gaulle Museum and Birthplace which recounts his varied life through a series of exhibits.
Six miles from Cysoing, the town of Villeneuve d’Ascq merits a visit. Attractions include a Planetarium, a Modern Arts Museum, an Ecological Museum, an Archeology Park and Flers Castle, a Flemish castle (1661) surrounded by moats, which now houses the Tourist Office.
As Cysoing is very near the Belgian border, there are many Belgian cities and towns, which merit a visit. These include Brussels (35 minutes), Bruges and Ghent (both 1 hour), and Tournai (10 miles away). Many offer lovely walks in the typical scenery depicted by the Brueghel painters. One of Brussels’s many attractions include a Brueghel Museum which is situated in the home of Peter Brueghel, the Elder.
A Brief History of Cysoing
Granted statutes by its feudal lord in the Middle Ages, the town surrounded itself with fortifications which have long since disappeared.
Remains of a 9th century Abbey of Sainte-Calixte founded by Evrard, Duke of Frioul and his wife Giselle, grand-daughter of Emperor Charlemagne. This abbey was almost been totally destroyed during the revolution. It was one of the most important abbeys in Northern France.
The origins of a 12th century Chateau de la Baronnie, now privately owned, are bound up with the Abbey of Sainte-Calixte and the town itself. In 1750 the chateau was purchased by Prince Rohan-Soubise and restored: the central part of the building dates from that time, the wings from the 19th century. A replica of the “petit Trianon” of Versailles, the Abbey Castle was re-built at the end of the 18th century on the grounds of the abbey.
In 1214 the Battle of Bouvines (2.4km from Cysoing) took place: one of the most important battles in French history. This was the start of the French re-claiming large parts of France from the English. Within the Church of Sainte-Pierre, Bouvines, 21 stained glass windows have been created to depict scenes from the battle to commemorate this famous event.
Sainte Calixte and Sainte Evrard Church with 18th century nave and portal and 19th century chorus and remains of Sainte Calixte and Sainte Evrard.
Today in Cysoing
Elegant Town Hall built in 1930, centered on a market place, dating back to 14th century, with shops, bars and restaurants. Large open market held every Tuesday and Sunday morning.
Benjamin Dumortier, youngest Mayor in France.
Two schools for children aged 2-14 years; a college for 11-15 years; a lycee for 15-18 years; and an agricultural college.
Key businesses and shops (mainly in the service industry).
Carnival held every 2 years. Christmas market of contemporary art.
Many routes created for walking and cycling.
Much Wenlock links with Cysoing
In May 1940, during the withdrawal of troops to Dunkirk, The Shropshire Kings Light Infantry buried, in great haste and secrecy, a box of Regimental bugles, in a location near Cysoing.
In October 2001, Major Jeremy York and a small group of colleagues from the Shropshire Light Infantry were in the area, 10 miles south east of Lille in Northern France searching for these bugles, without success. Following this visit, a number of contacts were established between Jeremy York and Cysoing.
The Mayor of Cysoing, subsequently expressed an interest in twinning with a town in Shropshire and early in 2003, Major York contacted our Town Council to establish whether Much Wenlock would be interested in twinning with Cysoing.
A Working Group was set up to investigate the viability of a twinning link between Much Wenlock and Cysoing.
The twinning of the two towns was formally completed in 2004 with the signing of the Twinning Charter, a copy of which is displayed in the Guildhall.
Annual organized official exchange visits will take place between the two towns, the host town alternating between Much Wenlock and Cysoing. The next official exchange visit will take place in Much Wenlock from Thursday 26thto Sunday 29th October 2006 The exchange visit for 2006 has been provisionally planned to take place during the period of the Wenlock Annual Olympian Games in July 2006.
Links have been established between the primary schools of both towns.
Current projects where links are planned include: secondary schools, Rotary Clubs, Choirs, Tourist Offices and book clubs.
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