Pillory of Braine-le-Château in Braine-le-Château, Belgium
Article excerpt
20 km south-east of Brussels is the town of Braine-le-Château. This commune borders on Halle, which is home to the famous Blue Forest* (a part of which is located in this commune). Braine-le-Château is inseparably linked to the Counts of…
20 km south-east of Brussels is the town of Braine-le-Château. This commune borders on Halle, which is home to the famous Blue Forest* (a part of which is located in this commune). Braine-le-Château is inseparably linked to the Counts of Hornes, especially Maximilien de Hornes (1475-1542), chamberlain to Charles V. He is responsible for the 5 listed monuments in the centre of the town: his recumbent statue in the church, the Horne castle, the water mill, the bailiff's house and the pillory.
On the central square of the town, the Braine-le-Château pillory was built in 1521. Although it was located in front of the castle, justice was administered by the bailiff. The bailiff was responsible for justice, administration and taxes on behalf of Lord Maximilien de Hornes, whose house was also located on the square. With the construction of this pillory, Maximilian de Hornes showed that he had the power to do justice in his lands.
The pillory is made up of a series of high steps that support a column. Its capital is decorated with a banner bearing the inscription "Maximilien de Hornes de Gasbecke, Knight of the Golden Fleece of the Emperor Charles, 1521". At the top, the skylight is made up of 6 columns that support a small roof (this roof was replaced during the restoration in 2019). Under the Ancien Régime, the bailiff would have convicts sentenced to "public exposure" taken to the lantern on market days.
In 1794, during the French Revolution, there was talk of the abolition of the pillory. The bailiff - Justinien Thienpont - was against it. He argued that it was a symbol of the town. History proved him to be right. In 1839, the pillory was again threatened. It was its transformation into a public fountain that guaranteed its preservation for good. Two stone troughs were added in 1849. However, the water never flowed. On December 21st, 1936, the pillory was listed as a historical monument. Today, it is included in the list of the exceptional architectural heritage of Wallonia. In 2019, a roof (the existence of which was known despite the absence of any old representation) was restored during the latest restoration works.
* https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-blue-forest-halle-belgium