Belfry (architecture)

:This page is about bell towers. For other meanings of "Belfry", see Belfry disambiguation.

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A belfry is a building (also known as a bell tower) - or a part of a building - in which bells are hung.

Related Topics:
Building - Bell

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In the Middle Ages cities sometimes kept their important documents in belfries.

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Belfries occur in England, in the western provinces of Flanders, and in the north of France along the Belgian border. Bruges, Ypres, Ghent, Lille, Tournai and Douai have famous examples. There is also a belfry in the Dutch town Sluis.

Related Topics:
Flanders - France - Belgian - Bruges - Ypres - Ghent - Lille - Tournai - Douai - Dutch - Sluis

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One Belgian and twenty-three French belfries are on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Related Topics:
Belgian - French - UNESCO - List of World Heritage Sites

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The word belfry comes from Old French berfrei which is derived from Germanic bergan "to protect" and frithuz "peace"; that is, it was originally a watch tower providing protection against hostile incursions. Since Middle English speakers thought berfrei had something to do with bells, so they altered it to belfry, an interesting example of the effect of Folk etymology.

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See also: campanile.

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