#beffroi

View from the belfry tower of Ypres (Ieper), with the tower of the Saint-Martin's Cathedral in the distance.

A belfry or hall tower is a medieval watchtower with a storm bell. More generally, 'belfry' refers to an urban tower in the Southern Netherlands (read: Belgium and Northern France). This type of tower was often built on or attached to a town hall or commercial cloth hall and was the place where the city bells were hung. A group of 56 belfries in Belgium and France are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 13th century, the city of Ypres, as a testament to its power and wealth, built its public buildings in stone. And she does so with ambition: the Ypres cloth hall and the belfry are, at that time, one of the most impressive civil buildings in Europe! The Cloth Halls served as a covered sales and storage place for cloth on the (now arched) waterway, the Ieperlee. Construction of the halls was completed in 1304.

The Ypres belfry, 70 meters high, emphasizes the enormous importance of the cloth trade. This leads to the wealth and power of medieval Ypres. The belfry was the safest and best protected place in the city during the Middle Ages. It is also the storage place for the 'free letters' (documents declaring priviliges, local souvereignity and autonomy of the city) and for the treasury. The tower also serves as a weapons storage facility and as a watchtower to see approaching anemies of spot fires.

Gent. Het Belfort en Lakenhalle.

The Belfry of Mons (Belgium) : a jewel of beauty

Built in the park belonging to Hainaut’s counts, on the site of the former château, the building nicknamed “el Catiau” towers over the city. From the garden, the view of Mons is simply stunning. From the top of the hill, you can imagine the history of this city, the trials that it has had to live through over the centuries, and its influence through time, until it became the capital of Hainaut. Next to the belfry, the Sainte-Calixte Chapel remains the city’s oldest religious monument. This Roman style chapel was built in 1051 and now houses a museum where you can learn about the history of the old château and the restoration undergone by the belfry.

Le Beffroi de Mons (Belgique) : un écrin de toute beauté

Construit dans le parc des comtes du Hainaut, sur le site de l’ancien château, celui que l’on surnomme « el Catiau » domine la cité. Du jardin, la vue sur Mons est tout simplement splendide. Du haut de la colline, on s’imagine la vie de cette cité, les épreuves qu’elle a dû traverser au fil des siècles et son rayonnement à travers le temps avant de devenir la capitale du Hainaut. Voisine du beffroi, la chapelle Sainte-Calixte reste le plus ancien monument religieux de la ville. De style roman, elle fut construite en 1051 et abrite aujourd’hui un espace muséal dans lequel on découvre justement l’histoire de l’ancien château et la restauration du beffroi.

Het Belfort van Bergen (België) : een schrijn van schoonheid

Het belfort of ‘el Catiau’ is opgetrokken in het park van de graven van Henegouwen op de locatie van het vroegere kasteel, en kijkt uit over de stad. De tuin biedt een weergaloos zicht over Mons. Boven op deze heuvel kan men mijmeren over het leven van de stad, de beproevingen die ze door de eeuwen heen doorstaan heeft en hoe belangrijk Mons was voor het de hoofdstad van Henegouwen werd. De kapel van Sint-Callistus naast het belfort is het oudste religieuze monument van de stad. Deze romaanse kapel werd gebouwd in 1051 en huisvest nu een museum over de geschiedenis van het oude kasteel en de restauratie van het belfort.

Photo / Foto : Michel Dogniaux

👉 Diaspora : Beffroi de Mons

👉 500px : Belfry of Mons

👉 Pinterest : Belfort van Bergen

© Pierre Cressant