Belfries of Belgium and France
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Belfries of Belgium and France
Location
Centre Region

Country
France

Year of Research
1999

Culture
  • Twenty-three belfries in the north of France and the belfry of Gembloux in Belgium were registered as a group, an extension to the 32 Belgian belfries recorded in 1999 as Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia.

  • constructed between the 11th and 17th centuries, they showcase the Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of architecture.

  • They are highly denoting tokens of the winning of civil liberties. While Italian, German and English towns mainly opted to build town halls, in part of north-western Europe, greater emphasis were kept on building belfries.

  • Compared with the keep (symbol of the seigneurs) and the bell-tower (symbol of the Church), the belfry, the third tower in the urban landscape, shows the power of the aldermen.

  • Over the centuries, they came to act as the influence and wealth of the towns.