Belfry (architecture)

As Belfry ( Belfort nl., French Belfry or Belefroi ) a tall, slender bell tower is called, which is quite typical for Flemish cities.

Function

Most belfries were built in the Gothic period and are among the most important secular buildings of the Middle Ages. You often preceded wooden towers, none of which are preserved. They were built from the mundane city authorities or the guilds or guilds as a symbol of bourgeois power, even over that of the Church. In general, the belfry and the town hall is connected or is free standing next to it.

As the safest cities in a city hosted the tower in its interior mostly the city archives, the treasury and often also a prison. In addition, he served as a watchtower (by enemies, but also town fires quickly detect ) and exclamations of public affairs. These tasks were performed by the watchman. A city bell from the 16th century, the Carillon, whose main areas of distribution also located in Belgium, northern France and the Netherlands, structured time and gave the signal for opening and closing of the city gates, marked the beginning and end of the working or rang to festivities. Similar features as the urban Belfry also has the Donjon and the keep of a castle.

List of belfries

In the list of UNESCO world heritage, some church towers were taken with the actual belfries, these are marked in italics in the list.

Gothic Revival

Saw a renaissance of the Belfry in numerous town halls, as well as post offices, railway stations and other public buildings of the Gothic Revival in the late 19th and early 20th century, now also outside the original area of ​​distribution.