beffroi
In French, a framework for supporting a heavy bell. Photo from New Orleans, Louisiana, 2024. 2. In France and neighboring countries, a communal or civil bell tower as distinguished from the clocher or steeple of a church. The beffrois, which first appear at the close of the twelfth century in France, are in some cases isolated, in others attached to the town hall. Those of the manufacturing towns of Belgium are particularly interesting. 3. The name is applied also to a movable tower of wood used in sieges. (Kremer, 2023)