Le Beffroi de Douai

The Douai belfry is the symbolic monument of the town of Douai in the Nord département. It dominates the town hall and the whole surrounding region. Construction of the Douai belfry began in 1380, on the site of an earlier wooden tower, to serve as a watchtower. A building also in Gothic style was erected on the west side of the tower as well as a chapel on the south flank. The whole was finished in 1475 and a carillon was installed in the belfry as early as 1391 and has set the rhythm of Douai life ever since. Victor Hugo's drawing is kept today in his museum on Place des Vosges in Paris. The belfry and town hall ensemble has been listed as a historic monument since the 1862 list.

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