Historical and Commemorative
Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss
PRISON AT TOURNAY JEHOTTE, Constant: Belgium, 1871, Bronze, 60 mm Tournay (Tournai) is a town in the province of Hainaut,
Belgium, on the Scheldt, 35 miles southwest of Brussels. In the 5th century
it was the seat of the Merovingian kings. It is noted for its fine
Romanesque cathedral. Tournay also has a number of fine churches, including
the church of St. Brice. In this church is the tomb of Childeric which had
among it relics 300 small golden models of bees. The bees were moved to
Paris, and when Napoleon was crowned emperor a century and a half later he
chose Childeric’s bees for the decoration of his coronation mantle. In this
manner the bee became associated with the Napoleonic legend just as the
lilies were with the Bourbons. Tournay is now known for its flourishing manufactures of
hosiery, linen, carpets, and porcelain. Francios Derre, the architect of this prison, was a
sculptor as well as an architect. He specialized in the construction of
prisons, designing those at Louvain, Hasselt, Gand, Mons, and Termonde, in
addition to this one at Tournay. Other medals depicting Belgian prisons are the
Prison at Louvain and the
Prison at Neufchateau.
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