The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic independence from feudal and religious influences in the former County of Flanders (present-day French Flanders area of France and Flanders region of Belgium) and neighbouring areas which once were possessions of the House of Burgundy (in present-day Wallonia of Belgium).
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
---|---|
Location | Belgium; north of France |
Includes | 56 belfries |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv) |
Reference | 943 |
Inscription | 1999 (23rd Session) |
Extensions | 2005 |
The World Heritage Site was originally called the Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia, a 1999 UNESCO list of 32 towers in those two regions of Belgium. In 2005, the list was expanded and given its current name, recognizing the addition of 23 belfries from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy regions in the north-eastern tip of France, plus the belfry of Gembloux in Wallonia.
Despite the list being concerned with civic tower structures, it includes six Belgian church towers (note the "cathedral"s, "church"es and "basilica" in the list below) under the pretext that they had served as watchtowers or alarm bell towers.
Most of the structures in this list are towers projecting from larger buildings. However, a few are notably standalone, of which, a handful are rebuilt towers formerly connected to adjacent buildings. One notable omission may seem the tower of Brussels' Town Hall, but this is not an actual belfry. The original Belfry of Brussels was located next to the Church of St. Nicholas, until its collapse in 1714.[1] As a side note, Brussels' Town Hall is part of the Grand-Place World Heritage Site.
Name and location[2] | Municipality | Province (BE) / Department (FR) |
Region | Country | Year inscribed | UNESCO ID[2] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Schepenhuis, Aalst – Belfry and (Former) City Hall 50°56′19″N 4°02′19″E / 50.938678°N 4.038526°E |
Aalst | East Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-001 | |
Cathedral of Our Lady 51°13′14″N 4°24′02″E / 51.220468°N 4.400605°E |
Antwerp | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-002 | |
City Hall of Antwerp[a] 51°13′17″N 4°23′51″E / 51.221268°N 4.397624°E |
Antwerp | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-003 | |
Hallentoren belfry and halls of Bruges 51°12′30″N 3°13′29″E / 51.208197°N 3.224737°E |
Bruges | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-004 | |
City Hall with Belfry of Dendermonde 51°01′52″N 4°05′55″E / 51.031134°N 4.098594°E |
Dendermonde | East Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-005 | |
City Hall and Belfry of Diksmuide 51°02′01″N 2°51′52″E / 51.033716°N 2.864579°E |
Diksmuide | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-006 | |
City Hall with Belfry of Eeklo 51°11′05″N 3°33′59″E / 51.184636°N 3.566344°E |
Eeklo | East Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-007 | |
Belfry, Cloth Hall and Mammelokker of Ghent 51°03′13″N 3°43′29″E / 51.053656°N 3.724762°E |
Ghent | East Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-008 | |
Former City Hall & Lakenhal (cloth hall) of Herentals 51°10′37″N 4°50′11″E / 51.176952°N 4.836261°E |
Herentals | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-009 | |
Cloth Hall and Belfry of Ypres 50°51′04″N 2°53′08″E / 50.851184°N 2.885451°E |
Ypres | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-010 | |
Belfry of Kortrijk 50°49′39″N 3°15′56″E / 50.827630°N 3.265595°E |
Kortrijk | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-011 | |
Belfry of St. Peter's Church and Tower 50°52′47″N 4°42′03″E / 50.879720°N 4.700785°E |
Leuven | Flemish Brabant | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-012 | |
City Hall and Belfry Tower of Lier 51°07′52″N 4°34′12″E / 51.131173°N 4.569896°E |
Lier | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-013 | |
Town Hall with Belfry of Lo-Reninge 50°58′50″N 2°44′58″E / 50.980598°N 2.749339°E |
Lo-Reninge | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-014 | |
Old Cloth Hall with Belfry (now part of the modern City Hall complex)[b] 51°01′41″N 4°28′53″E / 51.027948°N 4.481269°E |
Mechelen | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-015 | |
St. Rumbolds Tower of the Cathedral[c] 51°01′44″N 4°28′42″E / 51.028772°N 4.478210°E |
Mechelen | Antwerp | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-016 | |
City Hall and Adjacent Belfry of Menen 50°47′46″N 3°07′14″E / 50.796109°N 3.120626°E |
Menen | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-017 | |
Stadshalle Grain Hall (Market Hall) with Belfry of Nieuwpoort 51°07′45″N 2°45′08″E / 51.129297°N 2.752118°E |
Nieuwpoort | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-018 | |
Town Hall of with Belfry of Oudenaarde 50°50′38″N 3°36′14″E / 50.843835°N 3.603841°E |
Oudenaarde | East Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-019 | |
City Hall, Stadshalle (market hall), and Belfry of Roeselare 50°56′41″N 3°07′28″E / 50.944680°N 3.124362°E |
Roeselare | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-020 | |
City Hall with Tower of Sint-Truiden 50°48′56″N 5°11′10″E / 50.815570°N 5.186119°E |
Sint-Truiden | Limburg | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-021 | |
Hallentoren belfry, Cloth Hall and Aldermen's Chamber [d] 51°00′02″N 3°19′37″E / 51.000471°N 3.327031°E |
Tielt | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-022 | |
St. Germanus Church 50°48′21″N 4°56′20″E / 50.805921°N 4.939013°E |
with Stadstoren (City Tower)Tienen | Flemish Brabant | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-023 | |
Belfry of the Basilica of Our Lady with Stadstoren (City Tower) 50°46′51″N 5°27′52″E / 50.780857°N 5.464398°E |
Tongeren | Limburg | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-024 | |
Landhuis ("country-house", former seat of the Viscounty of Veurne-Ambacht) and Belfry[e] 51°04′22″N 2°39′42″E / 51.072884°N 2.661568°E |
Veurne | West Flanders | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-025 | |
St. Leonard's Church 50°50′00″N 5°06′11″E / 50.833318°N 5.103024°E |
Zoutleeuw | Flemish Brabant | Flanders | Belgium | 1999 | 943-026 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Binche 50°24′39″N 4°09′56″E / 50.410750°N 4.165543°E |
Binche | Hainaut | Wallonia | Belgium | 1999 | 943-027 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Charleroi 50°24′45″N 4°26′38″E / 50.412537°N 4.443887°E |
Charleroi | Hainaut | Wallonia | Belgium | 1999 | 943-028 | |
Belfry of Mons 50°27′15″N 3°57′00″E / 50.454110°N 3.949976°E |
Mons | Hainaut | Wallonia | Belgium | 1999 | 943-029 | |
Belfry of Namur 50°27′50″N 4°52′01″E / 50.463890°N 4.867062°E |
Namur | Namur | Wallonia | Belgium | 1999 | 943-030 | |
Belfry of Thuin 50°20′23″N 4°17′15″E / 50.339637°N 4.287541°E |
Thuin | Hainaut | Wallonia | Belgium | 1999 | 943-031 | |
Belfry of Tournai 50°36′21″N 3°23′17″E / 50.605812°N 3.388005°E |
Tournai | Hainaut | Wallonia | Belgium | 1999 | 943-032 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Armentières 50°41′11″N 2°52′57″E / 50.68645°N 2.8824°E |
Armentières | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-033 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Bailleul 50°44′23″N 2°44′04″E / 50.7397°N 2.7344°E |
Bailleul | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-034 | |
Belfry of Bergues 50°58′05″N 2°25′58″E / 50.9680°N 2.4327°E |
Bergues | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-035 | |
Belfry of St. Martin's Church 50°10′27″N 3°13′56″E / 50.1742°N 3.232127°E |
Cambrai | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-036 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Comines 50°45′55″N 3°00′26″E / 50.7653°N 3.0072°E |
Comines | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-037 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Douai 50°22′04″N 3°04′50″E / 50.3679°N 3.0805°E |
Douai | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-038 | |
Belfry of Dunkirk[f] 51°02′08″N 2°22′35″E / 51.0356°N 2.3763°E |
Dunkirk | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-039 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Dunkirk[f] 51°02′15″N 2°22′36″E / 51.0376°N 2.3768°E |
Dunkirk | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-040 | |
Belfry of Gravelines 50°59′12″N 2°07′34″E / 50.9868°N 2.1261°E |
Gravelines | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-041 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Lille 50°37′50″N 3°04′11″E / 50.6306°N 3.0698°E |
Lille | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-042 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Loos 50°36′54″N 3°00′53″E / 50.61507°N 3.01477°E |
Loos | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-043 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Aire-sur-la-Lys 50°38′19″N 2°23′47″E / 50.6385°N 2.3963°E |
Aire-sur-la-Lys | Pas-de-Calais | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-044 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Arras 50°17′28″N 2°46′37″E / 50.2911°N 2.7770°E |
Arras | Pas-de-Calais | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-045 | |
Belfry of Béthune 50°31′52″N 2°38′21″E / 50.5310°N 2.6392°E |
Béthune | Pas-de-Calais | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-046 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Boulogne-sur-Mer 50°43′30″N 1°36′48″E / 50.7250°N 1.6132°E |
Boulogne-sur-Mer | Pas-de-Calais | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-047 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Calais 50°57′10″N 1°51′15″E / 50.9529°N 1.8542°E |
Calais | Pas-de-Calais | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-048 | |
Belfry of the City Hall of Hesdin 50°22′23″N 2°02′11″E / 50.3730°N 2.0363°E |
Hesdin | Pas-de-Calais | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-049 | |
Belfry of Abbeville 50°06′26″N 1°49′58″E / 50.1073°N 1.8329°E |
Abbeville | Somme | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-050 | |
Belfry of Somme 49°53′44″N 2°17′46″E / 49.8955°N 2.2960°E |
Amiens | Somme | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-051 | |
Belfry of the former Municipal Hall of Doullens 50°09′19″N 2°20′28″E / 50.1554°N 2.3410°E |
Doullens | Somme | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-052 | |
Belfry on the remaining City Gate of Lucheux 50°11′50″N 2°24′40″E / 50.1971°N 2.4112°E |
Lucheux | Somme | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-053 | |
Belfry of Rue 50°16′21″N 1°40′07″E / 50.2725°N 1.6687°E |
Rue | Somme | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-054 | |
Belfry of Saint-Riquier 50°08′03″N 1°56′47″E / 50.1342°N 1.9464°E |
Saint-Riquier | Somme | Hauts-de-France | France | 2005 | 943-055 | |
Belfry of Gembloux 50°33′39″N 4°41′35″E / 50.560799°N 4.692968°E |
Gembloux | Namur | Wallonia | Belgium | 2005 | 943-056 |