Belfry Of Bruges - Halletoren, Markt 7, 8000 Brugge, Kingdom Of Belgium.

            The Belfry of Bruges , or the Halletoren , is located on the Grote Markt of Bruges . The Belfry of Bruges has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List since December 4 , 1999 . Since 2019 it has been part of Musea Brugge .

History 
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 warehouses. The trading elite in Bruges decided around 1240 to replace the wooden construction with a stone complex and also to build a belfry in stone 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 ensured that a separate town hall was built on the Burg where most administrative functions were moved. The tower was restored around 1291-1296 with the two lower square building parts and a wooden spire.

The city 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 city clocks. During the repairs, a wooden spire with an ascending lion was built.

In 1741 the spire burned down again and was restored in 1753, but without a spire . In 1822 the tower was given the current neo-Gothic crown finish instead of a spire.

In the 13th century, the tower began to slant in a southeasterly direction, perhaps due to a heterogeneous soil structure as a result of a watercourse that had been filled in on site. A correction in a westerly direction was applied to the elevation of the tower. However, the problem already caused concern in the 16th century. To prevent further tilting, the corners of the tower were reinforced with heavy pillars in 1554. The tower was thoroughly restored in 1964-1971. However, it turned out not to be necessary to additionally strengthen the foundations to prevent further tilting.

The belfry of Bruges is 83 meters high and slopes slightly (87 centimeters  towards Wollestraat ). To reach the top you have to climb 366 steps.

Function 
The halls under the tower had a commercial function. They consisted of different rooms where different craft products with city quality were traded. On the second floor there was a treasury and city archives . The annual accounts from 1281 onwards have almost all been preserved; until 1300 in Latin , then composed in the vernacular.

From the 14th century onwards, all regulations, the so-called Hall commandments , were proclaimed from the balcony above the entrance gate by a bailiff , in the presence of at least two aldermen or other government persons . This included legislation relating to public order and trade and industry (including judgments and bankruptcy notices). These regulations were also announced at other places in the city and later posted on signs in front of the town hall. From 1769 onwards this announcement took place from the facade of the town hall, although the name Hall Commandments was retained.

The tower served to detect enemy troops approaching the city and especially as a watchtower for detecting fire in the city.

The bells of the belfry
Before the 16th century, bells were rung manually. The ringing of the bells had a specific meaning, such as:

opening and closing 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 onwards, a drum, driven by a clockwork, ensured the regular playing of certain bells (such as indicating the hour). The drum also made it possible to play (secular and spiritual) songs. From 1604 onwards, the city council hired a carillonneur to do this during Sundays, holidays and market days. The play drum is the largest working play drum in the world and plays the programmed music every fifteen minutes.

In 1675 the carillon consisted of 35 bells, designed by the Antwerp resident Melchior de Haze . After the fire of 1741, and until today, the carillon consists of 47 bells, built by Joris Dumery , together weighing about 27.5 tons. Of these, the 26 largest are still in use.

In 2010, the 21 smallest (non-historical) bells (1939 and 1969) were replaced by new bells, cast by the Royal Eijsbouts, which fit in with the historic Dumery series. This happened during a complete carillon restoration.

Carillonneurs in Bruges 
Triumphal Bell 
The Bruges belfry still has a so-called emergency bell , which is also the triumph bell and is called Mary. It was cast by Melchior de Haze in 1680 and has a total weight of approximately 6 tons and a diameter of 2.06 meters. This makes her one of the larger clocks in Belgium.

This bell was originally the bourdon bell of the Church of Our Lady , but was moved to the Belfry in the early 19th century to replace the earlier alarm bell of Joris Dumery, which burst in 1743. This bell, contrary to popular belief, is not connected to the carillon.

The Triumph Bell rings during ten festivities:

the Flemish and national holidays,
the Holy Blood Procession and the Blind Blanket Procession ,
the commemoration of the Armistice in 1918 and the Liberation in 1944,
Christmas and New Year's Eve.
   

Taken on: August 19, 2023

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Camera: Canon EOS 2000D, f/7.1, 1/200 sec, 51mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 2000D
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	51mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384
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