Belfries of Belgium and France

The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings. They are part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. It shows a design change from feudal and religious influence in historic Flanders and its neighboring regions of the Duchy of Burgundy.

UNESCO included 32 towers of Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia in 1999. In 2005, the bell tower of Gembloux in the Walloon Region of Belgium and 23 others from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy regions were added to the renamed list. Brussels Town Hall and its bell tower were not included since was already part of the Grand Place World Heritage Site.

Additional six church towers were also added since they served as watchtowers or alarm bell towers. These include Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, St. Rumbolds Cathedral in Mechelen, St. Peter's Church, Leuven, St. Germanus Church in Tienen, the Basilica of Our Lady in Tongeren and St. Leonard's Church in Zoutleeuw.

Most of the buildings in the list are towers from bigger buildings. A few of them are restoration of towers previously connected to nearby bigger buildings.

 Belgium 
The ID numbers match the order in the complete list ID from 943 to 943bis from UNESCO.

 Flanders 

 West Flanders 
ID 943-004BrugesHallentoren belfry and hallsID 943-006DiksmuideCity Hall and BelfryID 943-011KortrijkHallentoren BelfryThe belfry is known as Halletoren, because of an adjacent Cloth Hall that no longer exists; the tower is now free-standing.ID 943-014Lo-Reninge (Lo)Town Hall with Belfry (at present a hotel)ID 943-017MenenCity Hall and adjacent BelfryID 943-018NieuwpoortStadshalle grain hall (market hall) with BelfryID 943-020RoeselareCity Hall, Stadshalle (market hall) and BelfryID 943-022TieltHallentoren belfry, Cloth Hall and Aldermen's Chamber The belfry is known as Hallentoren or Tower of the Halls, plural: of the two adjacent wings or halls, only one remains, hence Cloth Hall, singular.ID 943-025VeurneLandhuis ("country-house", former seat of the Viscounty of Veurne-Ambacht) and Belfry The city centre's Landhuis (literally: 'country-house') was once the seat of the kasselrij or burggraafschap (viscounty) Veurne-Ambacht, serving the countryside; here as opposed to the adjacent Stadhuis (literally: 'city-house' though always meaning the City Hall) serving the city. The Landhuis later became the Court of Justice and recently a place for cultural purposes, e.g. exhibitions, dance acts, concerts, etc.ID 943-010YpresCloth Hall with Belfry

 East Flanders 
ID 943-001AalstAldermen's House with BelfryID 943-005DendermondeCity Hall with BelfryID 943-007EekloCity Hall with BelfryID 943-008GhentBelfry, Cloth Hall and Mammelokker The name Mammelokker (assumedly: 'Allurer of breasts') for the guard house at the part of the Cloth Hall that once served as a prison, refers to the story of a prisoner.ID 943-019OudenaardeCity Hall with Belfry

 Antwerp 
ID 943-002AntwerpCathedral of Our LadyID 943-003AntwerpCity Hall Quote from external link Detailed argumentation for list ID 943/943bis, UNESCO Website: "The Hôtel de Ville in Antwerpen (1564) is an excellent example of the transposition of Renaissance principles in the central risalith with superposed diminishing registers flanked by obelisks and scrollwork and finished with a pediment, reiterating the theme of the central belfry." – Hôtel de Ville is French for 'City Hall', Antwerpen is the native name of 'Antwerp' in Dutch. ID 943-009HerentalsFormer City & 'Laken'(Cloth) HallID 943-013LierCity Hall and Belfry towerID 943-016MechelenSt. Rumbolds Tower of the cathedral UNESCO states, inappropriately in French: ID 943-016 Tour de Saint-Rombaut ; in native Dutch language this is Sint-Romboutstoren which is the main tower of the cathedral, once also used as a watchtower against fires.ID 943-015MechelenOld Cloth Hall with Belfry (now part of the City Hall complex)UNESCO states, inappropriately in French: ID 943-015 Ancienne Halle avec Beffroi ; in native Dutch language this is Oude [or: Voormalige] Halle met Belfort. This 14th-century Cloth Hall with never to its designed height built Belfry – both hardly ever used for the intended purposes – with more recent adjacent buildings, constitute the present-day City Hall.

 Flemish Brabant 
ID 943-012LeuvenSt. Peter's Church and towerID 943-023TienenSt. Germanus Church with Stadstoren (City Tower)ID 943-026ZoutleeuwSt. Leonard's Church

 Limburg 
ID 943-021Sint-TruidenCity Hall with TowerID 943-024TongerenBasilica of Our Lady with Stadstoren (City Tower)

 Wallonia 

 Hainaut 
ID 943-027BincheBelfry of the City HallID 943-028CharleroiBelfry of the City HallID 943-029MonsBelfryID 943-031ThuinBelfryID 943-032TournaiBelfry

 Namur 
ID 943-056GemblouxBelfryID 943-030NamurBelfry
 France 

 Nord-Pas de Calais 

 Nord 
ID 943-033ArmentièresBelfry of the City Hall184x184pxID 943-034BailleulBelfry of the City Hall140x140pxID 943-035BerguesBelfry150x150pxID 943-036CambraiBelfry of the St. Martin's Church133x133pxID 943-037CominesBelfry of the City Hall133x133pxID 943-038DouaiBelfry of the City Hall133x133pxID 943-040DunkirkBelfry of the City HallUNESCO states: ID 943-040 Beffroi de l'Hôtel de Ville, ID 943-039 Beffroi de l'église Saint-Eloi – further reading from other source:  Monuments in Dunkirk179x179pxID 943-039DunkirkBelfry of Dunkirk(former church tower attached to Saint Eligius, in the 1700s transformed into a standalone municipal belfry)133x133pxID 943-041GravelinesBelfry160x160pxID 943-042LilleBelfry of the City Hall133x133pxID 943-043LoosBelfry of the City Hall134x134px

 Pas-de-Calais 
ID 943-044Aire-sur-la-LysBelfry of the City Hall150x150pxID 943-045ArrasBelfry of the City Hall133x133pxID 943-046BéthuneBelfry170x170pxID 943-047Boulogne-sur-MerBelfry of the City Hall146x146pxID 943-048CalaisBelfry of the City Hall150x150pxID 943-049HesdinBelfry of the City Hall145x145px
 Picardy 

 Somme 
ID 943-050AbbevilleBelfry133x133pxID 943-051AmiensBelfry150x150pxID 943-052DoullensBelfry of the former Municipal Hall, at present the tourist information center201x201pxID 943-053LucheuxBelfry on the remaining City Gate132x132pxID 943-054RueBelfry133x133pxID 943-055Saint-RiquierBelfry135x135px

 Gallery 

 Related pages 

 List of World Heritage Sites in Europe

 Notes 

 Other websites 

 Brief description of the ensemble ID 943/943bis, UNESCO Website
 Detailed argumentation for list ID 943/943bis, UNESCO Website
 The complete list ID 943/943bis, UNESCO Website (monuments ordered by UNESCO ID, which precedes the corresponding monument in this Wikipedia article's main list)
 Articles on the phenomenon of the belfries from the Flemish Department of Monuments and Landscapes
 The Belgian belfries on the UNESCO list ID 943 (without Gembloux) with photographs  and slideshows – from the Flemish Department of Monuments and Landscapes
  The French belfries on the UNESCO list ID 943bis  with photographs  and descriptions; and a general article
  The French belfries on the UNESCO list ID 943bis with thumbnails, photographs and descriptions

Category:Belgium
Category:World Heritage Sites in France
Category:Towers in Europe