In 1381, the Palais des Treize (Palace of the Thirteen) became too small for the city council of Metz. The authorities decided to install the new belfry on the southern face of Saint Stephen Cathedral and name it Tower of Mutte. Decorated like the rest of the monument's facade, it blends into its Gothic style. The tower is home to three civil bells known as la Mutte, Tocsin, and Mademoiselle de Turmel. In 1907 the belfry was sold to the French state, and in the 1950s a firefighter was stationed there to monitor the outbreaks of fires.