Belfry of Abbeville

About

The belfry of Abbeville, built in 1209, is one of the oldest belfries in France. Ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 15 July 2007, it consists of a 27-metre high tower whose walls are 2.30 metres thick at its base. The belfry has been home to the Boucher-de-Perthes Museum since 1954.

History: It was built in 1209, at the initiative of the bourgeois of Abbeville, who could only build it thanks to the permission of the Count of Ponthieu. The tower of the belfry is also covered with a top of frame surmounted by a girouette representing the Count of Ponthieu on horseback. Being close, at the time, to the enclosure, the belfry served as a watchtower until the end of the 15th century, the period of construction of the collegiate Saint-Vulfran. It also served as a treasury in the 15th century. In 1940, the belfry was almost completely destroyed, only cash remained intact. After the Second World War, very important restoration work was undertaken to make it look in line with the oldest documents that came to us. Work was not completed until 1986.