Built or rebuilt between the 12th and 20th centuries, the belfries of Belgium and France are remarkable examples of civil and civic architecture.

A symbolic element of the landscape in the old Low Countries and the North of France, the belfry materializes in the heart of the urban space the birth of municipal power in the Middle Ages.

A practical building housing the communal bells, preserving charters and treasures, hosting aldermanic meetings, serving as a watchtower and prison, the belfry has, over the centuries, become the symbol of the power and prosperity of the communes.

Bearers of a strong identity, the belfries have suffered greatly from armed conflicts but their permanent re-erection reflects their exceptional symbolic role and the attachment of communities to them.

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Go to the Belfry