Belfry of Namur, Namur, Belgium - SpottingHistory.com

The belfry of Namur, also called Saint-Jacob's Tower was constructed in 1388 as part of the city wall. It was remodeled as a belfry in 1746. It is one of the 56 belfries of Belgium and France classified as the World Heritage Site of the UNESCO.

In the beginning, one of the clocks of the Saint-Pierre-au-Château church served as belfry for the citizens of Namur, which is to indicate the time and to announce events in the city. After the destruction of the church, burned down during the siege of Namur in 1745, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the oldest of the three towers of the medieval city walls, became the city belfry. The Tour Saint-Jacques protected one of the city gates. Its bancloque (belfry clock) gave the signal for the opening and closure of the external city gates (from 1570 on).

At the beginning of the 18th century, the city wall was demolished but the Tour Saint-Jacques was preserved, restored and its clock was covered by an octagonal structure. This entire part was lifted upon a clock bulb. The Tour Saint-Jacques became Namur's city belfry in 1746.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

nicole g (2 years ago)
Très beau Beffroi de la ville.

Ysaline Baldino (2 years ago)
Très sympa,mais beaucoup de monde

Philippe Wautelet (3 years ago)
Il est inscrit au patrimoine de l'UNESCO avec 55 autres beffrois du nord de la France, de Flandres et de Wallonie (dont Mons, Thuin, Tournai). L'intérieur ne se visite qu'exceptionnellement (Journées du Patrimoine, ...). Anciennement tour Saint-Jacques, édifiée en 1388, elle faisait partie de la 3ème enceinte de la ville. Au 16e s., sa hauteur a été réduite de moitié et en 1733 (cette date figure sur les ancres du sommet), elle a été restaurée et la forme de sa toiture a été modifiée. Elle est devenue officiellement beffroi en 1746 après l'incendie du beffroi de Saint-Pierre-du-Château. Le beffroi contenait la cloche municipale annonçant l'ouverture et la fermeture des remparts ou rameutant les pompiers en cas d'incendie.

My Consulting Namur (3 years ago)
Endroit très souvent complet. Je trouve les prix assez excessifs..

josep serra colomar (3 years ago)
Edifici històric ben conservat, tot i que ha quedat encaixonat entre edificacions que en dificulten una bona visió de conjunt.

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Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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