Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Lakenhal

HerentalsThe later Duchy of Brabant under Godfrey I of Louvain acquired the Margraviate of Antwerp, including the territories around as a ducal fief from Emperor Henry V in 1106. In 1130, the Tongerlo Abbey was founded, which would exert great influence on the Herentals region for centuries and also owned shares in the town, including a watermill. These Premonstratensians settled on what was then the estate of Lord Giselbert of Castelré Kasterlee. The oldest known mention of the name Herentals can be found in a papal bull from the years 1147–1150 as the territory of the monastery of St. Waltrud in Mons. The first settlement grew around the St. Waltrud Church, from where trade with Western Europe quickly developed. From 1190 onward, the Landgraviate of Brabant was elevated to a duchy as a token of gratitude from Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa for the defense of Jerusalem in 1183/1184 by the Brabantians. In 1209 Herentals was granted city rights. In 1303, Herentals received a charter of freedom from Duke John II, granting it a city constitution, including administration, legislation, and jurisdiction, until the end of the Ancien Régime. Herentals became a fortified town, surrounded by walls and four city gates. The town developed into a center of economic prosperity. This prosperity flourished thanks to the cloth industry. In 1393, Herentals received its first invitation to the Frankfurt Trade Fair. The "Lakenhal" is a medieval cloth hall. Before 1430, the building was mentioned as a "stadhuis" (town hall). In the fifteenth century, it was rebuilt as a cloth hall by clothmakers and wool weavers. In 1512, the building burned down almost completely, and in 1534 it was rebuilt. A 35-meter-high tower was also added, which served as a belfry. The town hall and its belfry is listed as one of the "Belfries of Belgium and France", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Standing on the steps to the Saint Bavo Cathedral (= Sint Baafskathedraal), that was hidden under scaffoldings in spring 2015. Seen here is the 91-metre-tall Belfort van Gent, a medieval tower overlooking the centre of Ghent. The construction of the belfry began around 1313. It was completed in 1380 and a gilded dragon got its place atop the tower. The uppermost parts of the tower have been rebuilt several times. The stone spire of today replaced a neoGothic one, that was demolished around 1912. The hall adjoining the belfry was built to headquarter the affairs of the cloth trade from 1425 to 1445. Inside, woollens were officially inspected and measured; transactions were negotiated. When the cloth trade declined, other business and offices moved in but as the guild still exists, there is still a room for them here. Sint-Niklaaskerk is seen in the backdrop.