The town of Merville takes place in the Nord department, in the Hauts-de-France region. It is located south of the Dunkirk district, between Lille forty kilometers and Bethune fifteen kilometers. It is part of the canton of Hazebrouck.
The population developed in the 7th century around a monastery founded by Mauront, then Duke of Douai. It was not until the 15th century that the city of Merville distinguished itself in the manufacture of cloth, one of its major economies of the time. Become French in the second half of the seventeenth century, it was completely destroyed during the First World War, then rebuilt in a neo-Flemish style.
The city of Merville still has today a very interesting modern architectural heritage, as well as a great cultural life.