The Romanesque houses located in the rue Barre Saint-Brice are exceptional witnesses of the XIIth century civilian architecture. These beautiful houses are among the oldest burghers houses preserved in Western Europe. The facades show several rows of windows divided in two by a small column. The rich burghers houses used to be covered with leaden roofs, like churches. They were probably used as a meeting place for the town council of the right bank of the Scheldt. Today they accommodate the protestant community of Tournai and an art gallery. They certainly inspired the design of the Flemish 'stenen', such as the 'Maison de l'Etape' in Ghent, which was built in Tournai stones.