Saint Victor in Paris in Département de Paris, Île-de-France, France — Western Europe
Le Château de la Tournelle
| — | Histoire de Paris | — |
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 11, 2024
1. Le Château de la Tournelle Marker
Undertaken at the beginning of the 13th century, the southern part of the Philippe-Auguste city walls, intended to promote the demographic development of the left bank, ended here. A tower here was a counterpart to the Barbeau tower, and every night, chains were stretched between them to protect the city from any unpleasant surprises from the river. In 1369 a wooden bridge, washed away several times by floods until its reconstruction in stone in 1656, connected the two banks; a fortress designed for its defense, called Château de la Tournelle, abutted the tower. From 1632, thanks to Saint Vincent de Paul, it served as a jail in less inhumane conditions for the convicts to the galleys who had until then been incarcerated in the Conciergerie. The whole was demolished at the end of the 18th century.
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Location. 48° 50.98′ N, 2° 21.337′ E. Marker is in Paris, Île-de-France, in Département de Paris. It is in Saint Victor. It is on Quai de la Tournelle, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3 Quai de la Tournelle, Paris, Île-de-France 75005, France. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, a coastal Mediterranean country, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a French colony and also the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Victor Lecomte (a few steps from this marker); La porte Saint-Bernard / The Saint Bernard Gate (a few steps from this marker); Les premiers bouquinistes / The First Booksellers (within shouting distance of this marker); Rene Cassin (about 150 meters away, measured
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 11, 2024
2. Le Château de la Tournelle Marker - wide view
Also see . . . Château de la Tournelle (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
The Château was built during the reign of Charles VI of France (1380-1422), and was named after its many ‘tournelles’ or little towers used to monitor the Seine River. The structure replaced the older Saint-Bernard watch tower which was part of the fortified enclosure of the capital built by Philippe II of France the early 13th century. The Château's primary function was as a military base to protect the city of Paris from invasion through the Seine, rather than acting as a private reside for the monarch.(Submitted on November 25, 2024.)
Although monarch did not reside at the Château, Henry II of France died there in 1559 from wounds he received in a joust against Gabriel Montgomery. Devastated by the loss of her husband, and because she supposedly disliked the medieval style of the Château, the widowed Queen Catherine de' Medicideclared the building be abandoned.Photographed by F. Roy / Crepaux Graveur (via Wikimedia Commons), 18863. Le Château de la Tournelle at the time of Louis XIII
From 1632, at the advice of Saint Vincent de Paul, it was used to house prisoners condemned to work as rowers in galleys rather than remaining incarcerated at the Conciergerie.
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Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 183 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 25, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
