As I look through photos and do some reading about this part of France, la Flandre, and the devastation it suffered during the two World Wars of the 20th century, I can't help but think about what's happening in Ukraine right now. A convoy of Russian military vehicles including tanks and probably artillery pieces is advancing towards Ukraine's eastern border. The prospect is that bombing by Russian aircraft will begin in earnest soon. Or maybe worse...
It's amazing that the 62-meter (203-foot) beffroi or belfry (a combination church belltower and watchtower survived
the two World Wars and has survived over so many centuries. It was built in the middle of the 15th century.
It was originally the belltower of a church called Saint-Martin. The church was destroyed during
the French Revolution in the years following 1789 but the tower was left standing.
This is the entrance to the tower. Going to the top means climbing a staircase of 248 steps. However,
the Wikipédia article about the beffroi de Cambrai say it's closed to the public now
because the stairs are in such bad shape. Earlier belfries existed
in Cambrai before this one, as far back as the 11th century.
The Cambrai belfry is one of 23 that still stand in French Flanders. There are 33 more in Belgian Flanders.
These 56 belltowers are listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
In photos #3 and 4, the bas-relief showing saint Martin sharing his cloak with the beggar reminds me of the one above the entrance of the chateau de Blois showing an equestrian statue of Louis XII.
ReplyDeleteGood memory, chm!
ReplyDeleteNot many comments here...
ReplyDeleteYes, chm, I, too, can see the resemblance to the bas relief to Blois.
ReplyDeleteThat hardware is so striking on those wooden doors. Maybe someday there will be money to repair the stairway to the top of the belfrois de Cambrai.
Today, it is difficult not to compare the remaining historical structures that still exist in France and to think about what might be lost in the bombing of Ukraine by Russia. Terrible, just terrible for all those citizens and the buildings.
Third picture: Is the green just vegetation growing, or is there applied color there? Gorgeous doorway.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like moss growing on the stone to me. It grows like that on our east-facing front terrace here when the weather is damp.
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