A little history of Douai belfry
And also
The tops
The city hall and the belfry |
Remi Mathis / CC-BY-SA
The foundation
This big square tower made of sandstone is 64 metres high. On the roof, we have lots of turrets and weather vanes flanked by a Flanders lion holding a banner.
The current carillon has 60 bells. In 1386, the building site began: they used stones from the old Cantin castle, near Douai.
Transformations
Lightning struck our belfry many times: but in 1471, the upper part was completely burnt.
One year later, bells and spire were rebuilt: they made the Flanders lion at that time. 3 Flemish brothers made the bells in 1471.
You know what? One day Charles Quint’s councillor visited the belfry, or even the archduke of Austria, Maximilian. He and his wife Marie of Burgundy enjoyed ringing the bells!