In the former County of Flanders…
In the former County of Flanders there were several medieval towers called Belfries. They were architectural manifestations of emerging civic independence from feudal and religious influences.
This is the Belfry of Tournai, construction began around 1188 when King Philip Augustus of France granted Tournai its town charter, conferring among other privileges the right to mount a communal bell to ring out signals to the townsfolk. It served as a watchtower for spotting fires and enemies.
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