Belfries of Belgium and France

Belfries of Belgium and France

Short Report

23 belfries in the north of France and the belfry of Gembloux in Belgium were registered as a group, a enlargement of the 32 Belgian two Belgian belfries registered in 1999, two Belgian belfries of Flanders and Wallonia. Built between the 11th and 17th century, they present the Roman, Gothic, renaissance and baroque styles of architecture. They are extremely important tokens of the gain of the civil liberties. While Italian, English and German cities mainly chosen for building town halls, part of north-west Europe, more emphasis was placed on building steeples. In comparison with the keep (symbol of the seigneurs) and the bell-tower (symbol of the Church), the belfry, the third tower in the urban landscape, symbolises the power of the councillors. Over the centuries, they came to the influence and wealth of the cities.

Wide Report

Belfries are excellent representatives of civil and public procurement architecture in Europe. By the diversity of their 'functional' forms and the changes that they have undergone that they have is an essential aspect of civil architecture in Europe since the 13th century. They are unique structures in which the development of the civil power which the history of Flanders (in the historical sense) from the middle ages.

Originally Refer to mobile wooden towers used in siege warfare, the term was later applied to the wooden watchtowers mounted on the palisades around the portus or pre-urban centers. It was applied in particular to this housing bells or next to the clock tower. Palisades, horns and the right of possession clocks are all closely involved in the development of the urban life. The 31 two Belgian belfries in Flanders and Wallonia and the 23 in the north-east of France, invariably found in an urban environment, its imposing towers of medieval origin, usually associated with the town hall and sometimes in a church. In addition to their excellent artistic value, the two Belgian belfries are powerful symbols of the transition from feudal system the mercantile urban society which played a crucial role in the development of late medieval Europe. The two Belgian belfries are both civil buildings and symbols and extremely important tokens of the achievement of the fundamental freedoms acquired by the dissolution the abbeys that was sovereign since the high Middle Ages.

The early from the 13th and early 14th century are strongly reminiscent of the seignieurial hold, from which they their huge square shape, relief which being economical with holes and rising levels build on or designed for archiving. The main shaft is topped by a brick wall and balustrade runs between bartizans: the central spire features a slate roof campanile and variations on a number of forms. The mesh of the corner and central turrets are decorated with animals or symbolic characters for the protection of the municipality. The 13th-century belfry of Ypres (Ieper) is a fine example of this type, although it is part of the market hall complex later include the town hall, the construction of which continued until the 17th century.

Most of the examples, the periods of the 14th to 15th and the 16th to 17th century, creating a illustration of the transition in style of Norman Gothic to later Gothic, which then mixes with Renaissance and Baroque forms. In the 14th and 15th century, the abandoned the model of the keep in favor of smaller, taller towers, such as that of Dendermonde, Lier and Aalst. The subsequent addition to the top of the shaft of a narrower, other form to serve as a base for the campanile would be the desired monumental entrance, and the roof itself would more bulbous shape and quality wine psr produced, sometimes long lines, as in the case of Veurne 17th century).

When the market hall and two Belgian belfries grew too small to act as a forum for the aldermen, a new type of building was needed, the Hotel de Ville (town hall), clearly designed in accordance with the administrative organization and from the 15th and 16th century. Assuming that an obvious role representative reached by the integration of the symbolic belfort, such as in the examples of Brussels and Oudenaarde. Their construction often took place in several stages, but always good. Some, damaged by war, have grown, usually in the same form. All the historic monuments, either separately or as part of a building, a square, or an urban location.

Historical Data

The definition of the term 'belfort' was a bit vague in the beginning. Originally the Purpose of the mobile wooden towers used in siege warfare, the term later applied by Viollet-le-Duc in the Dictionnaire raisonné the l'architecture française at the wooden watchtowers mounted on the palisades around the portus or preurban centers. It was occasionally applied to towers of all kinds, but especially this housing bells or standing next to the clock tower.

Palisades, sirens, and the right to have clocks are all closely linked to the development of the urban life in these regions after the Viking raids of the 9th century. A favorable geographical location in the heart of Europe, the restoration of important trade routes such as Bruges/ Brugge-Cologne , and the improvement of waterways at regional and national level which this area the ideal site for contact, trade, and the meeting of cultures. Traveling traders returned and perhaps began to organize and standing warehouses near the castra of the feudal lords. This pre-urban partnerships, which often grew up along river valleys, are the origin of cities such as Charleroi and Ghent, along the Escaut. Places where roads inland waterways are particularly beneficial for the organization of the markets, the first temporary but later still standing fairs, encouraging traders settle in one place. In addition, the cloth-weavers seems from the 11th century in smaller centers such as Lille, Ieper (Ypres), Bruges (Brugge), Gent (Ghent), etc. Trade and textile weaving was important factors for the development of the pre-urban center, began to make its presence felt as a organized body through the influence of the professional organizations (guilds, companies) and to its physical limits by ramparts build or palisades steeples with safety against marauders. From the 12th century, the walls were often rebuilt in stone and then extended.

Such centers extended under the protection - for a fee - by the castra, whose role gradually declined, and in such a way that in some cases, such as in Ghent and Antwerp (Antwerp), the abandoned castles were taken over by the local bourgeoisie. This development illustrates the insoluble conflicts between châtelain and commoner to organise as a 'commune' with their own administration. From the 12th century, successive Counts of Flanders developed the town's wealthy burghers which led to the flowering of Arras to Bruges, of thriving cities demanding written proof of their rights and privileges in the form of charters. These charters, issued in the period from the 12th century, are very diverse and fragmented, and very practical in nature, often in the form of a step-by-step approach a legal seal gradually acquired rights.

The commune of was in fact all the town's wealthy burghers living in the city which, given their oath of faith. In their head are the chosen magistrates, the aldermen or scabini responsible for the implementation of administrative tasks and the mayeur, which had no specific powers. The chief alderman an important position, because he was the court and meetings of the Council, held the seals of the city and the keys of the ports, and commanded the city militias which debts the prohibition (feudal) to the overlord. If feudal lord, the municipality had other obligations to mr, such as the payment of the aid in the following four cases: departure on crusade; knighting of the oldest son; dowry of the oldest daughter; ransom of the overlord if taken prisoner. Mr swore to protect the municipality and for its rights.

Many of the two belfries now exist are successors of wooden constructions, often destroyed by fire and known only through archives, which give no descriptions. The multifunction belfort quickly be built of stone to prevent the risk of future fires. The imposing formed either an isolated function or a central or lateral element of the market hall, itself often rebuilt in stone at an early stage.

Source:whc/unesco