Le beffroi de Cambrai

The existence of a belfry in Cambrai can be traced back to the 11th century. Its successive construction and demolition can be traced back to Cambrai's turbulent history of communal revolts, one of the earliest in the region. It was in 1395 that Cambrai finally obtained permission from Emperor Wenceslas to have a belfry, a function occupied by the bell tower of Saint-Martin church from the mid-16th century onwards. Built between 1447 and 1474 in Gothic style, with ogival lancet windows on all sides and powerful buttresses at all four corners, it rose to a height of almost 57 metres. Its upper storey had a different appearance to the one we know today, as it was covered by an astonishing torso spire, flanked by four corner turrets. This was replaced by a dome topped by a lantern during work carried out between 1732 and 1736, which gave the belfry the look it still has today, raising its silhouette to almost 62 meters. The four sculptures at the top, created by Marcel Gaumont in 1924, depict characters from Cambrai's history. The belfry housed the "gallus" watchmen. They were responsible for announcing the hours on the bell or, at night, using a megaphone to ring the opening and closing of the town gates and the curfew hour. They also kept watch over the town, sounding the alarm in the event of fire or external attack. A true legacy of the Middle Ages, this watchman service remained in the belfry until 1934.

DATAtourisme France