The Broel Towers ( nl, Broeltorens) are a

listed monument Cultural heritage management (CHM) is the vocation and practice of managing cultural heritage. It is a branch of cultural resources management (CRM), although it also draws on the practices of cultural conservation, restoration, museology, arch ...

and a

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

in the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

city of

Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Regio ...

(''Courtrai''). The towers are known as one of the most important symbols of the city.

History

Although they look identical, the towers were not built at the same time. The Southern tower, also known as the ''Speyetoren'', was built in 1385 to control the traffic on the river Lys. This tower was part of the fortified fence of the first

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

castle of the

Counts of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the co ...

. The Speyentoren was also part of the 12th century rampart, destroyed by Louis XIV in the 17th century.
The Northern tower, known as the ''Ingelborchtoren'' was built in 1415 and was used as an

armory Armory or armoury may mean: * An arsenal, a military or civilian location for the storage of arms and ammunition Places *National Guard Armory, in the United States and Canada, a training place for National Guard or other part-time or regular mili ...

. Nowadays, the towers are, together with the Artillerytower (''in Dutch: Artillerietoren''), the last remaining parts of the

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

around the city. Most of the fortifications in Kortrijk were ordered to be destroyed by Vauban in 1683, a period in which the French and the Spanish armies repeatedly fought over control of the region. The remaining parts were destroyed in the 18th century and during the world wars. A statue of

John of Nepomuk John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) ( cs, Jan Nepomucký; german: Johannes Nepomuk; la, Ioannes Nepomucenus) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393) was the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus ...

can be found in the middle of the bridge spanning between the two towers. This statue of the patron saint of the drowned has, ironically, fallen into the river Lys on several occasions due to warfare in the city. The bridge between the two towers was destroyed in both world wars.

Gallery

File:Kortrijk-Courtrai.jpg, The Broel towers and File:Statue of John of Nepomuk in Kortrijk.jpg,

statue on the Broel Bridge File:Kortrijk Broeltorens.jpg, The 'Speytorre' (l.) and the 'Inghelburghtorre' (r.) File:Ingelborchtoren.jpg, The Inghelburghtorre (1415) File:59389 Broeltorens Kortrijk.jpg, The 'Speytorre' or 'Blauwe Toren' (1385)

External links

{{commonscat, Broeltorens
More information on the medieval fortifications around Kortrijk
History of Kortrijk Medieval architecture Buildings and structures in Kortrijk Tourist attractions in West Flanders Towers in Belgium