Belfry of Bruges is a city's watch tower with a height of 83 meters that was constructed in the 13th century. Original medieval part of the structure is the square part of the tower. Octagonal tip of the Belfry was added in the 15th century. You can climb 366 steps to the top of the viewing platform at the top of the Belfry. The whole city is visible below. Belfry of Bruges contains 49 bells that create melodic bell ringing. The largest bell was cast in 1680 and weights 6000 kg with a diameter of two meters. Additionally the tower keeps certificates and medieval documents that state fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens. At the old times until 1769 the Belfry tower was used as a declaration point where laws and regulations were announced to the people below.
A number of halls originally stood on the site of the
current belfry. The halls consisted of several covered markets for
mainly wool and cloth trade and storage places. Around 1240, the trading
elite in Bruges decided to replace the wooden construction with a stone
complex and also to erect a stone belfry with a wooden spire, as a
symbol of urban prosperity. The tower had a more administrative
function: it contained a treasury, the archive of the city accounts and
functioned as the seat of the city aldermen.
In 1280 the upper
part burned down and the archive from before 1280 was lost. This caused
a separate town hall to be built on the Burg where most of the
administrative functions moved. Around 1291-1296 the tower was restored
with the two lower square parts and a wooden spire.
The town
halls were further expanded in the 15th century and from 1483 to 1487
the octagonal Gothic upper part was built, also with a wooden spire on
which the statue of Saint Michael appeared. Due to a lightning strike in
1493, this upper part burned down again, as well as the town bells. A
wooden spire with an ascending lion was built during the restoration.
In 1741 the spire burned down again and was restored in 1753, but
without the spire. In 1822 the tower received the current neo-Gothic
crown finish instead of a spire.
In the 13th century, the tower
started to lean in a south-easterly direction, perhaps as a result of a
filled in watercourse. A westward correction was applied to the
elevation of the tower. However, the problem was already a concern in
the 16th century. To prevent further sagging, the corners of the tower
were reinforced in 1554 with heavy pillars. In 1964-1971 the tower was
thoroughly restored. However, it turned out to be unnecessary to
reinforce the foundations to prevent further tilting.
The belfry
of Bruges is 83 meters high and leans slightly (87 centimeters towards
Wollestraat). To reach the top, 366 steps must be climbed.
The halls under the tower had a commercial function.
They consisted of different halls where different craft products with
city hallmarks were traded. On the second floor there was a treasury and
city archives. Almost all of the annual accounts from 1281 have been
preserved; in Latin until 1300, then in the vernacular.
From the
14th century, a bailiff, in the presence of at least two aldermen or
other government officials, called down all regulations from the balcony
above the entrance gate, the so-called Hallegeboden. This included
legislation related to public order and trade and industry (including
judgments and bankruptcy notices). These regulations were also called
out in other places in the city and later posted on signs in front of
the city hall. From 1769 this announcement took place from the front of
the town hall, although the name Hallegeboden was retained.
The
tower served to detect enemy troops approaching the city and mainly as a
watchtower for detecting fire in the city.
Before the 16th century, bells were rung manually. The
ringing of the bells had a specific meaning, such as:
the opening
and closing of the city gates;
a work clock that indicated the start
and end of working hours – it was forbidden to work with insufficient
light;
a clock that indicated when it was no longer allowed to walk
through the streets without a torch;
festive bells rang during all
kinds of festivities.
From 1523, a drum driven by a clockwork
provided the regular playing of certain bells (such as for telling the
hour). With the drum it also became possible to play (secular and
spiritual) songs. From 1604 the city council hired a carillonneur to do
this during Sundays, public holidays and market days. The playing drum
is the largest still working playing drum in the world and plays the
programmed music every fifteen minutes.
In 1675 the carillon
consisted of 35 bells, designed by Melchior de Haze from Antwerp. After
the fire of 1741, and until today, the carillon consists of 47 bells,
built by Joris Dumery, together about 27.5 tons. Of these, the largest
26 are still in use.
In 2010, the 21 smallest (non-historical)
bells (1939 and 1969) were replaced by new bells, cast by Koninklijke
Eijsbouts, which match the historic Dumery series. This happened during
a complete carillon restoration.
The Bruges belfry still has a so-called emergency
bell, which is also the triumphal bell and is named Maria. It was cast
by Melchior de Haze in 1680 and has a total weight of about 6 tons and a
diameter of 2.06 metres. This makes it one of the larger clocks in
Belgium.
This bell was originally the bell of the Church of Our
Lady, but was moved to the Belfry in the early 19th century to replace
Joris Dumery's earlier emergency bell, which burst in 1743. Contrary to
popular belief, this bell is not connected to the carillon.
The
Triumph Bell rings at a dozen festivities:
the Flemish and national
holidays,
the Holy Blood Procession and the Blindfold Procession,
the commemoration of the Armistice in 1918 and the Liberation in 1944,
Christmas and New Year's Eve.