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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The belfry of Nuits-Saint-Georges is a Flemish-inspired building built in the first half of the 17th century, between 1610 and 1629, in the heart of the historic centre of the city. Built into a square building built between 1610 and 1619, it initially served as a guard tower and housed the town hall until 1833. Its octagonal campanile, added in 1633, houses an automatic carillon whose bell was classified in 1619. The belfry, covered with virgin vines, dominates the Place de la République, a former commercial and judicial area.

The monument symbolizes the urban history of Nuits-Saint-Georges, linked to the Grands Crus road and the Burgundy vineyard. After the demolition of the bailliage (1832) and the wooden halls (1848), it became a major visual landmark. In 1933, a bust of the local sculptor Paul Cabet (1815–76), a pupil of François Rude, was installed on his facade, overtaking a fountain. Ranked Historic Monument in 1947, the belfry was restored in 1989 but remains unopened to the public, while maintaining its functional carillon.

Architecturally, the belfry is distinguished by its rectangular plan and its square tower in rubble, with chains of cut stone. Its pavilion roof, covered with slates, is surmounted by skylights and a campanile. The clocks, placed on the north and south facades, still keep pace with local life. A chronogram inscription ("1619") and a sculpted coat of arms on the west door recall its origin. The building, owned by the municipality, today embodies the wine and architectural heritage of Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

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