Belfries of Belgium and France
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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.