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Origin and history

The belfry of Arras, built between the 15th century and 1554 under the direction of architect Jacques le Caron, embodies the climax of the flamboyant Gothic style. Built on a square base surmounted by octagonal levels, it symbolized the prosperity of Arras and served as a prison and watchtower. Its bells rhythmized urban life by marking the opening of the city gates. Financed by the bourgeois and the sale of municipal property, it was completed with a crown surmounted by a lion to the weapons of the city, after validation by twelve master masons in 1551.

Destroyed for the first time in 1833 because of its disrepair (damaged by the 1640 balls), the belfry was reconstructed identically between 1839 and 1840 under the impulse of Mayor Maurice Colin. A clock was added in 1868. In 1914, he was razed by 69 German shells during World War I. The reconstruction, led by architect Pierre Paquet, this time used reinforced concrete to reduce costs, while faithfully reproducing the original. The present golden lion, a replica of the one installed under Louis XIV, still dominates the building.

Ranked a historic monument in 1840 (the first list of Prosper Mérimée), the belfry included in 2005 the UNESCO World Heritage Site among the belfries of Belgium and France. It is 75 metres high and now houses 40 bells and an electric carillon. Its interior preserves a fresco by Charles Hoffbauer (1932) illustrating the life of Arrage in the 16th century. A symbol of resilience, it hosts cultural events such as the Embrasing of the Belfry (annual pyrotechnic show) and was elected "preferential monument of the French" in 2015.

In the Middle Ages, the belfry played a military and judicial role: its cells served as prisons, and its bell regulated urban activities. Accelerated to the city hall (rebuilt simultaneously after 1914), it illustrates the turbulent history of Arras, between destruction and rebirth. Recent restorations (1999–2005) have preserved its concrete structure and its stone walls, while maintaining its accessibility to the public via an elevator and a 40-step staircase.

The site is open year round, attracting thousands of visitors (29,592 in 2003). He also appears in cinematographic works such as Not His Genre (2014) or La Liste de mes envies (2014), testifying to his anchoring in local culture. The belfry remains the highest point of Arras, visible several kilometers away, and an emblem of the Hauts-de-France.

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