The Grand-Place (French: [ɡʁɑ̃ plas]; "Grand Square"[a]) is the main square and the centre of activity of Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium. The square has a triangular shape, owing it to the convergence of several ancient roads,[2] and it covers 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft).

Grand-Place
View of Tournai's Grand-Place from its Belfry
Grand-Place, Tournai is located in Belgium
Grand-Place, Tournai
Location within Belgium
LocationTournai, Hainaut, Belgium
Coordinates50°36′23″N 3°23′11″E / 50.60639°N 3.38639°E / 50.60639; 3.38639

As in many Belgian cities, there are a number of cafés and pubs on the Grand-Place. In the middle of the square there are a series of water fountains, while a circular staircase to the top of the city's Belfry can be climbed.[3][4]

History

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The Grand-Place, c. 1934

The unusual triangular shape of the Grand-Place is due to the convergence of several ancient roads.[2][5] Originally located outside the first city walls, this vast area was used as a cemetery in its western part, from the 1st to the 4th century AD.[5]

During the Carolingian era, with the resumption of large-scale trade in Western Europe, the long-abandoned cemetery was transformed into a marketplace. The economic importance of this market attracted large crowds. In 1187, when the town received its own charter guaranteeing it municipal freedoms from King Philippe Auguste of France, the residents of Tournai chose the Grand-Place to erect a belfry, a symbol of these hard-won freedoms. From then on, the square became the centre of community life.[5]

On 16–17 May 1940, almost all the buildings in the centre of Tournai, including the Grand-Place, were destroyed by German bombs.[6] They were rebuilt between the 1940s and the beginning of the 2000s, most of them in a historicist style.[7]

Buildings

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Panoramic view of the Grand-Place. From left to right: the Cloth Hall, the Rue des Maux, the Princess of Epinoy statue and the Church of St. Quentin.

Notes

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  1. ^ In this case, the French word place is a "false friend", and the correct counterparts in English are "plaza" or "town square".[1]

References

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  1. ^ "place | Etymology, origin and meaning of place by Etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b itinari (3 October 2018). "Visit Grand-Place Tournai". itinari. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  3. ^ "The Grand Place". Visittournai. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Tournai, le plus vieux Beffroi de Belgique". Visittournai (in French). Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Grand-Place". TOURNAI.be (in French). Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  6. ^ Colignon, Alain. "Guerre aérienne en Belgique (La)" (in French). Belgium WWII.
  7. ^ "Tournai quasi détruite par les bombardements allemands et alliés lors de la Seconde Guerre mondiale" (in French). Notélé. 14 May 1922.
  8. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Belfries of Belgium and France". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  9. ^ "The Cloth Hall - Tournai". Visittournai. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Eglise paroissiale (Eglise Saint-Quentin)" (in French). Inventaire du patrimoine immobilier culturel de Wallonie. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  11. ^ Steyaert, J. (2003). "Delemer, Jean". Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T021971. ISBN 978-1-884446-05-4. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Object number 10062545". BALaT Belgian Art Links and Tools. Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
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