La Tour de Crest (Drôme) - France - Castles on Waymarking.com

[FR] Sa construction commence au XIIè siècle. Elle est à l’origine la composante majeure d’une vaste forteresse qui domine la ville de Crest. Tout au long du Moyen Age, la Tour est au cœur des luttes entre deux seigneurs qui se disputent sa possession. A partir de 1419, elle devient propriété des Rois de France qui la concèdent à différentes familles dont les Grimaldi, princes de Monaco. Soucieux de l’importance de la forteresse, Louis XIII en ordonne le démantèlement en 1633, et seule la Tour échappe à la destruction. La Tour de Crest sert alors de prison jusqu’au XIXe siècle et devient propriété nationale après la Révolution. Ce n’est qu’en 1988, cent ans après son classement au titre des Monuments Historiques, que la Ville de Crest achète la Tour.

[EN] The City of Crest was officially first mentioned in March 1120 when Pope Calixte ll stopped there. He wrote to the Bishops of Coimbra and Salamanque from “le château fortifié de Crest” (the fortified castle of Crest).

The foundation of Crest is attributed to the Arnauds. The name “Crest” comes from the latin “Crista Analdorum” meaning “Crête des Arnaud”.

On 26th January 1632, Louis XIII, who had stopped at Crest in 1629 on his way back from the Piedmont campaign, published an edict ordering the complete destruction of the citadel of Crest. This followed Richelieu’s order that all feudal fortresses be destroyed.

The local authorities managed to avoid part of this destruction programme: the Castle and the walls were demolished, but the Tower was spared.

It was at about that time that the Tower was turned into a prison where a number of key figures were locked up for political reasons. Following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1684), a great number of Protestants were imprisoned there.

They were followed in the 18th C. by priests, soldiers, public servants and even nobles whose actions were not appreciated by the local authorities. People were imprisoned on a simple lettre de cachet, but they were given a great deal of freedom: the prisoners were allowed to organise receptions and balls and they would invite bigwigs of the city with their ladies. Thanks to these festivities, lots of escapes were recorded, the prisoners swapping their clothes with those of their guests. In 1811 under Napoleon, by Imperial decree, the Tower became the property of the Department, but in 1832 it was transferred to the Army who used it as a military prison. In 1851, on the order of Napoleon III, 600 Republicans were imprisoned in the dungeon. The numerous graffiti they left on the walls attest their faith and passion.

Accessibility: Full access Condition: Intact Admission Charge?: yes Website: [Web Link]

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   04/23/2018 sareghama visited it 01/07/2014 The Mad visited it 08/04/2012 Team Straat-egisch visited it

View all visits/logs