The Tour de Nesle () was one of the four large

guard tower A guard tower is any military tower used for guarding an area. These towers are usually operated by military personnel, and are structures built in areas of established control. These include military bases and cities occupied by military forces. ...

s on the old city wall of Paris, constructed at the beginning of the 13th century by

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French m ...

and demolished in 1665. The tower was situated on the left (south) bank of the Seine facing the old castle of the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

on the opposite bank. Originally known as the ''Tour Hamelin'', it was a cylindrical structure of approximately 10 metres in diameter. The height was around 25 metres, with a stair turret reaching higher still. Later, the tower was incorporated into the Hôtel de Nesle, a medieval mansion. On the right bank of the Seine river was a similar tall tower: the Tour du Coin (corner tower). The towers protected the upstream approach to the

Île de la Cité Île de la Cité (; English: City Island) is an island in the river Seine in the center of Paris. In the 4th century, it was the site of the fortress of the Roman governor. In 508, Clovis I, the first King of the Franks, established his palace ...

. In 1308, Philip IV bought the tower from Amaury de Nesle. In 1314, a scandal known as the Tour de Nesle affair implicated the daughters-in-law of Philip IV, who were accused of adultery. Many of the alleged liaisons were said to have occurred in the Tour de Nesle. The scandal led to torture and execution for the princesses' lovers and the imprisonment of the princesses, with lasting consequences for the final years of the

House of Capet The House of Capet (french: Maison capétienne) or the Direct Capetians (''Capétiens directs''), also called the House of France (''la maison de France''), or simply the Capets, ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328. It was the most ...

. In 1319, Philip V donated the building to his Queen Jeanne de Bourgogne (the one accused who was found innocent) and she, in her will, left it for the College of Burgundy, which she founded for the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. Demolished in 1665, mansion and tower became the place of the

Collège des Quatre-Nations The Collège des Quatre-Nations ("College of the Four Nations"), also known as the Collège Mazarin after its founder, was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris. It was founded through a bequest by the Cardinal Mazarin. At his d ...

(later occupied by the

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute ...

) with the

Bibliothèque Mazarine The Bibliothèque Mazarine, or Mazarin Library, is located within the Palais de l'institut de France, or the Palace of the Institute of France (previously the Collège des Quatre-Nations of the University of Paris), at 23 quai de Conti in the 6 ...

In popular culture

In the 19th century, Alexandre Dumas wrote the celebrated romance '' La Tour de Nesle'' (1832), in which he portrayed the place as a theatre of orgy and the place of murder of a Queen of France at the beginning of the 14th century, (likely Margaret of Burgundy). His story is based on the fifteenth-century legend based on events alleged to have taken place in 1314. The story was also the basis of a 1955 film known in English as ''

Tower of Lust ''Tower of Lust'' (french: La Tour de Nesle) is a 1955 French / Italian drama film directed by Abel Gance. Cast * Pierre Brasseur - Jehan Buridan * Silvana Pampanini - Marguerite de Bourgogne * Paul Guers - Gaultier d'Aulnay * Jacques Toja - ...

'' (French: ''La Tour de Nesle''). ''Le Roi de fer'' (1955), the first novel of

Maurice Druon Maurice Druon (23 April 1918 – 14 April 2009) was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Française, of which he served as "Perpetual Secretary" (chairman) between 1985 and 1999. Life and career Born in Paris, France, Druon was the s ...

's seven-volume series ''

Les Rois maudits ''The Accursed Kings'' (french: Les Rois maudits ) is a series of historical novels by French author Maurice Druon about the French monarchy in the 14th century. Published between 1955 and 1977, the series has been adapted as a miniseries twice ...

'' (''The Accursed Kings''), describes the affair and the subsequent executions in lurid and imaginative detail.

References

* *Imago Mundi - Tour de Nesle.

Gallery

Tour.de.Nesle.png, The Tour de Nesle in the medieval period as imagined by Viollet-le-Duc. View to the northwest and Seine river. The Porte de Nesle is the gate at center-right. TourDeNesleInstitut.jpg, A plaque on the northern wall of the

shows the former location of the Tour de Nesle. Les 3 tours (Paris).jpg, Tower and hôtel de Nesle with on the other side of the river the

Palais du Louvre The Louvre Palace (french: link=no, Palais du Louvre, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the ...

(Plan de Truschet & Hoyau, circa 1550) Murphil.jpg,

Plan de Mérian The Merian map of Paris (French: plan de Merian) was created in 1615 by Matthäus Merian, the map presents a " bird's eye view" looking east with a scale of about 1 to 7,000. It originally consisted of two engraved plates (50 x 37 cm each) ...

(1615) : at bottom, the tour de Nesle, the Hôtel de Nevers, and the ditch

External links

Scandale de la Tour de Nesle
{{Authority control Towers completed in the 13th century History of Paris Fortifications of Paris Former buildings and structures in Paris Fortified towers Buildings and structures demolished in the 17th century Towers in Paris