The Cathedral, One of the Province’s Buildings ?

It is, indeed, the Province of Hainault that is the owner of this fabulous building in Tournai, although many people are still unaware of the fact. A property that it has inherited… by the hazards of history. Since nearly two centuries, the Province has endeavoured to preserve and save this heritage, to enshrine it in the future.

Other duties considered as urgent mobilise the public financial capacities and the Cathedral is placed under the attentive observation of the Technical Department of Buildings. At each incident, the Provincial Authority takes the initiative to remedy it and to preserve the monument. As the state of the West porch became alarming, a restoration file was presented to the French-speaking Community, which has been replaced by the Walloon Region, following institutional reform.

The lesson learnt from this first experience reinforces the need for prior research and investigation into all attempts at restoration in such a monument. The time has therefore come to take cognisance of the cultural, economic, tourist issues that have to be taken into consideration. The Cathedral and its basement are promised to serve as a crucible for studies of very high quality, and to offer a building site of discoveries that are already being called exceptional.

In order to do so and to continue to exploit this priceless historical and archaeological opulence,