Tournai Favorites

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Favorite thing: Being one of Belgium's oldest cities, Tournai has a very rich history: already an important city in the Roman Empire, it became later one of the main cities in the County of Flanders. As former merovingian capital and birthplace of Clovis, the French Monarchy always considered Tournai as its craddle and, as a matter of fact, the city still bears the fleur de lys in its coat of arms. Under Henry VIII, Tournai came under the sovereignity of England. Later on, it was part of the Low Countries and, with them, was in the hands of different Empires: Spain, Austria, France and Holland.

Favorite thing: This church can be found on one side of the Market Square. The statue in the foreground is of Christine de Lalaing, princess of Epinoy. She organised the defense of Tournai when it was besieged by the Spanish in 1583.

Favorite thing: The most beautiful building on the market square is the cloth hall. It was the medieval center of the cloth trade. It started as a wooden building in the 13th century but has been rebuilt many times. It now houses temporary exhibitions.

Favorite thing: Tournai has a beautiful belfry. It stands at the end of the Market Square and is 70 metres high. 257 steps will lead you to the top where you will have a great view over the Market Square and other great monuments.

Favorite thing: Follow the signs to the centre of the city and you will end up in the Market Square, a nice triangle square, partly car-free. Enjoy a drink on one of the many terraces on the square while admiring the surrounding architecture.

Favorite thing: It is now official; since the end of august 2004, Tournai has its own brewery again, la Brasserie de Cazeau. It is not located in the city center but in Templeuve, one of its 29 communes.
Beer has been brewed at this place since 1753. In the past, there was several wells to pump the water directly from the water table. Unfortunately it is not deep enough and since there are lots of farmers in the area, this water is now polluted with fertilizers and can’t be used anymore to make a beer…

Naturally the beer produced has been called “Tournay”, this is the name of the city using the old spelling (with a ‘y’ instead of the ‘i’). It is a gold-colored beer matured in bottle. It is then normal to find some remaining yeast at the bottom of the bottle. With 7.2% alcohol and a bitter taste, this could become a popular beer in the area…

From the end of October 2004, tour can be organized (from 5 to 50 persons), a local shop will be open every Friday from 4 to 7pm and every time there is a public brewing (check the website for the schedule), beer can be tasted as well…

www.brasseriedecazeau.be

brasseriedecazeau@yahoo.fr
info@brasseriedecazeau.be

+32472970953
+32476605548

Favorite thing: This painter from the 15th century, mostly known as Roger van der Weyden, is one of the masters of the early Renaissance painting.

He was born in Tournai around 1400, that's where he entered the studio of Robert Campin, another well known master of this period.
He later became a city painter in Brussels in 1436

In the local museum of Fine Arts, you could admire one of his painting, the Virgin and Child with Jean de Gros.

This statue by Wolfers (1936), standing close to the cathedral, has directly been inspired by another of his painting, St. Luke Drawing a Portrait of the Virgin Mary, also known as St. Luke Madonna.

Favorite thing: Louis Gallait is a famous painter of the 19th century. He was born at Tournai in 1810, produced his first picture when ten years old and entered the Académie of Tournai in 1823. He will then move to Antwerp, Paris and then back to Bruxelles where he will die in 1887.

A complete room of the fine art museum is dedicated to this local painter. Two of is masterpiece are shown there: the Abdication of Charles V and The Last Honors paid to Counts Egmont and Horn.

This statue stand in the park close to the town hall.