Belfries of Belgium and France
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How it came to be
In the medieval County of Flanders and the lands around it, towns that had freed themselves from feudal and church control built belfries as a third tower in the skyline, after the lord's keep and the church bell tower. The belfry stood for the power of the aldermen. It held the town's bells and charters and served as council chamber, watchtower and prison. Where towns in Italy, Germany and England built town halls, those of north-western Europe preferred belfries.
They were built from the 11th to the 20th century, in Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Deco styles. Brussels' first belfry stood beside the Church of St Nicholas and collapsed in 1714. Many belfries were damaged in wars, and their rebuilding after the two world wars of the 20th century is part of their history.
In 1999, 32 belfries in Flanders and Wallonia were inscribed as the Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia. In 2005, 23 belfries in northern France and the belfry of Gembloux in Wallonia were added and the site was renamed. It now counts 56 belfries: 33 in Belgium, 11 in the Nord department and 6 each in Pas-de-Calais and the Somme.
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