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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The communal house of Doullens, incorporating a belfry of 28 meters, was built between the 16th and 17th centuries. Acquired by the commune in 1286 from a seigneurial tower, it was rebuilt several times after fires, with a last major restoration in 1613. The belfry, characteristic of picardic architecture in brick and stone, houses three bells, including the bumblebee Jeanne d'Auxi (1541), the object of a historical dispute between Doullens and Auxi-le-Château after its capture by the Spaniards in 1653.

The monument welcomed notable figures such as Cardinal de Richelieu and Louis XIII in 1640 during the siege of Arras, and Louis XIV and the Dauphin in 1678. In 1861, its upper part was restored with the addition of a clock. The façade, cover, and belfry were protected by a 1966 order. Ranked a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 among the Belgian and French Belfries, it symbolizes the medieval communal autonomy and the turbulent history of Picardia.

Architecturally, the belfry rises on four levels: a stone ground floor with a porch and raised doors, a left guard corps (former prison becoming now the tourist office), and a bent summit sheltering the watchman's heal. Its style combines Gothic and regional influences, typical of the brick buildings of northern France in the 17th–18th century.

The Joan of Auxi, an iconic bell melted in 1541, still rings every hour. Its history reflects local tensions: stolen by the Spaniards in 1653, it was bought by Doullens after negotiations with Auxi-le-Château. This monument, a communal property, remains a major witness to the Picardic heritage and its role in civic life since the Middle Ages.

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