Beffroi

This object is the gate tower of Tricot, and is also called belfry. It was raised up in 1600 in order to place there the city's first public clock. It is a beautiful medieval tower with a bell to let people know what time it is. The part of the watch is quite simple, but it hasn't changed at all since the 17th century. The Belfry is a tradition that began in northern France, and was a very strong symbol for medieval villages. In earlier times, the church bell was the only clock on the town, and represented a symbol of religious power and feudal, the belfry, with its clock tower and public generally equal or higher than the church steeple, announcing the independence of a people to its medieval lord.