Douai (pop. 44,742), an industrial town centered on coal, situated south of Lille on the river Scarpe, did not finally become French until 1713. From 1652 to 1889 it had a university, originally founded by the Spaniards. The central feature of the town is the Place d'Armes or Grand'Place. A short distance to the west is the 15th C. Hôtel de
Ville (Town Hall), with a defensive tower (the interior of which is open to the public). To the east is the Porte de Valenciennes (15th C.), a relic of the old town walls, and to the south of this, in an area once occupied by defensive works, is the municipal park.