First real photo tour. Rather than shoot my city, I prefer to go to Tournai.
Indeed, the latter is slightly more attractive for photography than Mouscron. Though... A very pretty city but which leaves however a
bitter taste.
The car is omnipresent (even in every nook and cranny except for a few pedestrian streets) and, although it is a self-proclaimed
tourist town, it leaves its historical heritage (especially religious buildings) in a more than disturbing state
(see Sainte-Marguerite church).
A restoration of the cathedral has finally begun but it took a tornado and a serious risk of collapse for the authorities to finally look into its case.
Coat of arms of the city of Tournai
Otherwise, from a photographic point of view, I still have a lot of progress to make.
It may be wise also to equip me with a true camera.
Pictures
Tournai
The main façade of the cathedral, Place de l'Évêché. The least authentic element of the cathedral since modified in the 13th (Gothic window), 15th (porch) and 19th century (rose window replacing the Gothic window).
Tournai
The False Gate surmounted by the chapel Saint-Vincent, which connects the cathedral to the episcopal palace.
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
Stained glass windows in the Saint-Louis chapel.
Tournai
Tournai
Excavations at the entrance of the transept.
Tournai
The transept. It is here that appeared the first Gothic elements in the cathedral.
Tournai
The rood screen, work of the Antwerp's Corneille "Floris" de Vriendt (1572).
Tournai
The right collateral of the choir, only part accessible since 1999.
Tournai
The entrance to the choir and its scaffolding.
Tournai
Tournai
The Romanesque nave (12th century).
Tournai
Tournai
A simple but harmonious structure.
Tournai
Tournai
Gothic stained-glass windows date mostly from the 19th century.
Tournai
The Gothic choir (1243-1255), entirely shored.
Tournai
Tournai
The structure that allows the transept to stay upright.
Tournai
Vestige of polychrome at the crossing of the transept.
Tournai
The Neo-Gothic rose, designed to be in harmony only seen from the inside. Its integration in the exterior facade
isn’t the best.
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
The crossing peaks at 50 meters high.
Tournai
Above, the lantern tower, the oldest of the five towers.
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
The portal of the Capitol. The gallery that overlooks the door since the 16th century allowed the ecclesiastical
judge to attend the executions and punishments.
Tournai
Tournai
The exterior of the nave, seen from the Old Pottery Market.
Tournai
The tower of the Treille, and at his feet, the chapel Saint-Louis.
Tournai
The choir and its metal shackles.
Tournai
From left to right : the tower of the Treille, the transept and the tower Marie. The four towers didn't exist in the initial project : it was planned to raise two towers on either side of the main façade, in addition to the lantern tower.
Tournai
The bedside of the choir. This Gothic choir replaced the original Romanesque choir less than a century after
its construction.
Tournai
Saint-Jean tower and access to the stabilization site.
Tournai
The side chapels of the choir.
Tournai
A vestige of the Romanesque choir ? I have never found in literature the origin of these old walls.
Tournai
The Saint-Jean tower, the transept and the Brunin tower from Place Paul-Émile Janson.
Tournai
Under the tarpaulins, the Porte Mantille.
Tournai
The nave, and in front, the empty space left by the demolition of the parish chapel Notre-Dame in the 50's. This demolition will prove harmful for the stability of the Brunin Tower and the transept.
Tournai
The crown of towers above the transept.
Tournai
The episcopal palace.
Tournai
Romanesque fragment of the episcopal palace (1146).
Tournai
Tournai
The renaissance part of the palace, Rue des Orfèvres. This part formerly sheltered the State of Tournai.
Tournai
Also on the Place de l'Évêché, the Hôtel des Anciens Prêtres (1755-1760). It was before the chapter library, whose collections were almost entirely destroyed during the bombings of May 1940.
Tournai
The False Gate. This passage built in height was built in 1198 at the request of Bishop Etienne d'Orléans.
Tournai
Classic view of the cathedral from the Grand'Place.
Tournai
From Queen Astrid Square this time.
Tournai
Also on the Queen Astrid Square : the conservatory (in a lamentable state) and the belfry.
Tournai
The oldest belfry in Belgium, its lower floor dates from the 12th century. In 1294, it is enhanced to allow
watchers to see over the brand-new choir of the cathedral.
Tournai
Rue Saint-Martin, the entrance to the old abbey, nowadays converted into City Hall.
Tournai
Tournai
The porch of the Town Hall. At its summit, the abbot's coat of arms was removed during the French Revolution.
Tournai
Tournai
The former abbey palace (1763), today became the Town Hall. The former Benedictine abbey Saint-Martin (founded in the 11th century) has been abolished in 1797. Most buildings, including the church, have been destroyed by the revolutionaries.
Tournai
Reconstitution of the 15th century Gothic cloister. Only the Romanesque cellars of the palace are original.
Tournai
The communal park.
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
One of the pavilions (in bad condition) of the Town Hall. Like everywhere in Tournai, cars are omnipresent.
Tournai
Queen Astrid Square from the Town Hall. This neighborhood was completely rebuilt after the ravages of the Second World War.
Tournai
In front of the Town Hall, the statue of the painter Louis Gallait from Tournai (1810-1887) who was also watercolorist
and engraver.
Tournai
The square is decorated with two beautiful fountains.
Tournai
Vestige of the first city wall (12th century) on Queen Astrid Square.
Tournai
This square was formerly occupied by the second Town Hall of Tournai, the Halle des Consaux (demolished in 1818).
Tournai
Change of scenery : Henry VIII tower. Vestige of the second city wall (13th century).
Tournai
It once housed the Museum of Weapons and Military History.
Tournai
Tournai
Its six-meter-thick walls are made of stone imported from England. Tournai was the only city in Belgium under
English occupation.
Tournai
The park establishes on the old moat of the city wall.
Tournai
The Saint-Nicolas church (12th century), a good example of Scaldian Gothic.
Tournai
The Gothic nave, completed before 1213, is interesting by its columns with Tournaisian capitals which are
considered as the first in the Scheldt valley.
Tournai
The church contains beautiful Louis XIV woodworks and many ex-voto. Saint-Nicolas was restored in 1982. It's now used as a place of exhibitions and should be reassigned for Orthodox worship.
Tournai
Tournai
Tournai
The Sainte-Marguerite church on the Place de Lille. Former abbey church, it became parish in 1803.
Tournai
The beginning of construction dates from the 13th century and continues in the middle of the 14th century by
the construction of the tower.
Tournai
Burned in 1723, only the tower is preserved from the old church, surmounted by a new bulbous spire.
The rest (including the portal) is rebuilt in neoclassical style.
Tournai
If the tower was restored in 1968 and the portal in 1998, the rest of the church has been left in a total oblivion
since 1965.
Tournai
Tournai
The choir, or at least what's left of it.
Tournai
With the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church, it's the one who worries the most by its state of "conservation".
The city of Tournai has a real problem with its architectural heritage.
Tournai
Tournai
Probably the sacristy, in Rue As-Pois.
Tournai
View of the roof, over the houses of Boulevard Bara...
Tournai
... and what was to happen happened : the collapse of an entire part of the roof.
Tournai
The Scheldt to the Pont des Trous (1281-1304) forming part of the second city wall.
Tournai
The Iron Bridge, the aptly named.
Tournai
The Scheldt towards Notre-Dame Bridge.
Tournai
The Church of the Redemptorists (19th century, neo-Romanesque), recently desecrated.
Tournai
Houses protected on the quays, in this pitiful state for years.
Tournai
The Scheldt and the Iron Bridge.
Tournai
Tournai
The Pont-à-Pont.
Tournai
The Notre-Dame footbridge.
Tournai
The Notre-Dame bridge, dating from the 50's.
Tournai
Tournai
A barge is heading north. Bye bye Tournai.
Related page
- Visit and photos of the Saint-Jacques Church.
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