Onions square

Place aux Oignons

The Lille audio-guided tour has you discover Place aux Oignons, often considered the prettiest of the city. Picturesque and full of charm, it nonetheless does not owe its name to a vegetable market, contrary to what one might think.

From the keep to the onions

The name of the square does not come from onions, but from a former keep. The Latin word dominium, designating this keep, transformed over time into dominion, then finally into onions (oignons), by popular distortion. In the eighteenth century, the houses around the square were inhabited by weavers, then called sayetteurs, who had set up their looms there, contributing to the textile prosperity of Lille.

What there is to see

With its colourful brick houses, its cobblestones and its terraces, Place aux Oignons embodies all the charm of old Lille. A peaceful and photogenic place, lined with restaurants and small addresses, it invites strolling and pausing. It is one of the most appreciated stops of the old district, to be discovered around the corner of the alleys.

Practical information

Place aux Oignons is in the heart of old Lille, near Rue de la Monnaie. It is a public space freely accessible at all hours and on the level. Its restaurants and terraces follow their own opening hours.

Where does the name Place aux Oignons come from?

Not from onions, but from a former keep: the Latin word dominium transformed into dominion then into onions by popular distortion.

Who lived on Place aux Oignons in the eighteenth century?

Weavers, called sayetteurs, who had set up their looms there, at the heart of the textile prosperity of Lille.