Belfry of Gent

The Belfry of Ghent rises above the city with a gilded dragon perched at its peak. This stone tower served as the medieval vault for the city’s most precious documents, including the charters that granted Ghent its independence. In the fourteenth century, city leaders even stored the municipal seal inside the tower to keep it safe from the count of Flanders. When the guard on duty spotted a fire or an approaching enemy, he rang the heavy bronze bells to summon the local militia.