Tour du Papegaud
FortressHidden Treasure
Tour du Papegaud, located in Fougères (Département 35), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Fort
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Fougères, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3521, -1.2054
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090577
Sentinelle médiévale dressée au cœur de Fougères, la Tour du Papegaud est un rare vestige carré du XIIIe siècle, témoin silencieux des rivalités féodales entre Bretagne et France.
History
Nestling in the fortified town of Fougères in northern Ille-et-Vilaine, the Tour du Papegaud stands like a fragment of stone torn from the Middle Ages. Sober and massive, it embodies the Breton military architecture of the 13th century, which favoured solidity over ornament and tactical sense over showmanship. In a town already famous for its castle - one of the largest in medieval Europe - this tower is an invaluable addition, an architectural landmark often overlooked by hurried visitors. What makes the Tour du Papegaud unique is precisely its discretion. Where the castle of Fougères imposes its spectacular silhouette, this square tower plays a different role: that of an advanced post, a defensive relay anchored in the urban fabric. Its quadrangular shape, rare for Breton watchtowers, which generally favoured a circular plan from the 13th century onwards, makes it an architectural witness to a transitional period in the art of fortified building. To visit the Tour du Papegaud is to agree to slow down. It doesn't reveal itself at first glance. You have to look up, linger over the granite stonework, imagine the archers posted at its openings, feel the weight of time in each of its foundations. For lovers of medieval history and military architecture, this is a must-see, and an ideal complement to a visit to the Château de Fougères, just a few hundred metres away. The setting of Fougères itself adds to the experience. A town full of character, with cobbled streets and ancient facades, it offers a coherent setting for this monument, which has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1926. The Tour du Papegaud is part of an urban landscape where the medieval past is never far away, and where every street corner reveals a trace of feudal Brittany.
Architecture
The Tour du Papegaud belongs to the large family of medieval square towers, a type of construction found in northern France and Brittany before the round tower, which is more resistant to grazing fire and siege sieges, became definitively established in the 13th century. Its quadrangular shape bears witness to a design still rooted in Romanesque architectural traditions and the first decades of Gothic military art. Built from granite - the dominant stone in the Fougerais region, extracted from the numerous quarries in the area - the tower is carefully constructed, typical of the Breton ducal construction sites of the period. Its thick walls, probably around two metres thick, provide resistance to projectiles and demolition attempts. The original openings were kept to a strict minimum so as not to weaken the structure, and were probably limited to simple archways enabling the defenders to watch and fire without exposing themselves. The crown of the tower, whose current state reflects the alterations of past centuries, would originally have included a parapet walk with crenellations, in accordance with 13th-century defensive standards.
Related Figures
François de Surienne — chef de guerre aragonais au service de l'Angleterre, qui s'empara de Fougères en 1449, déclenchant la dernière phase de la guerre de Cent AnsRaoul II de Fougères — puissant seigneur féodal du XIIIe siècle, sous le règne duquel les fortifications de Fougères furent renforcéesBertrand du Guesclin — connétable de France qui fréquenta la région bretonne et contribua à la reconquête des places fortes contre les AnglaisVictor Hugo — admirateur de Fougères qu'il visita en 1836 et décrivit avec enthousiasme dans ses écrits de voyage, sensible à la puissance de ses fortifications médiévalesHonoré de Balzac — auteur des Chouans (1829), roman dont Fougères est le théâtre, qui contribua à la renommée romantique de la ville
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tour du Papegaud located?
Tour du Papegaud is located in Fougères, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Tour du Papegaud built?
Tour du Papegaud dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Tour du Papegaud open to visitors?
Tour du Papegaud is currently closed to visitors.
