Bridge of the Holes, Gothic water gate in Tournai, Belgium
The Bridge of the Holes is a Gothic water gate over the Scheldt in Tournai, with three pointed arches between two towers. The left-bank Tour du Bourdiel dates from 1281; the right-bank Tour de la Thieulerie from 1302–1304. The towers are flat on the city side and rounded outward. The central arch was enlarged and the whole raised 2.40 m in the 1947–48 reconstruction; the arches were rebuilt again in 2019–2023.
Construction began in 1281 as part of Tournai's medieval fortification program and it served as a key control point over the river for centuries. The structure withstood multiple sieges and remained essential to the city's defense system into modern times.
The structure served as a control point for river commerce and represented the city's power over trade routes. Local people used it as a landmark and as part of daily pathways along the riverbank.
The bridge can be viewed from several spots along the riverbank paths, with the southern walkway offering the most direct access. Morning and evening light produces the best photographs of the stone towers and arch details.
The bridge's current name dates from the 18th century and refers to a lock that once stood about a hundred metres downstream; in the Middle Ages it was called Pont des Arcs. In 1340, during the Hundred Years' War, Edward III of England and Flemish troops tried in vain to force the water gate with ram ships. A niche above the Thieulerie tower door recalls a statue of the Virgin that stood there for centuries.
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