Around 1260, there was built a belfry and a city hall at the 'Grand Place'. Because there were no defense facilities around the city, it was an easy target for ennemies. To guarantee safety, they started in Roeselare soon with a few teams of city guards. Of course, they could not much do in times of war. In 1488 and 1492, the city was destroyed by the army of Maximilian from Austria. Almost every building from the early Middle Ages collapsed. Around 1500, the city was rebuilt in a different architecture.