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The Palace of the Great Council and Belfry at Mechelen (Belgium)

The Palace of the Great Council and Belfry at Mechelen (Belgium)

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Mark Billiau.


Premium (World), region Antwerp, Belgium

The Palace of the Great Council and Belfry at Mechelen (Belgium)

My ‘Castles of Belgium’-series continues. However, not with a picture of a castle this time, but one of a palace (what’s in a name).

The Palace of the Great Council (on the left) was built in 1526.
At that time, this council was the highest court in the Burgundian Netherlands (= present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France).

The (never finished) Belfry (°), right of the palace, is a 14th century gothic building with 17th century baroque elements.
Due to lack of sufficient funds by the city of Mechelen, the planned high tower was never completed.
Despite this unfinished state, UNESCO has declared this belfry as a world heritage site.

(°) : A belfry is a medieval alarm bell tower, mostly built in big town centers.

Castles of Belgium
dossier Castles of Belgium
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