[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

Histoire de Paris

Le Château de la Tournelle
Entreprise au début du XIIIe siècle, la partie méridionale de l’enceinte de Philippe-Auguste, destinée à favoriser le développement démogra phique de la rive gauche, s’achevait ici. Une tour faisait pendant à la tour Barbeau, et chaque nuit, des chaînes tendues entre elles protégeaient la cité de toute mauvaise surprise venue du fleuve. En 1369 un pont de bois, plusieurs fois emporté par les crues jusqu’à sa reconstruction en pierre en 1656, relie les deux rives; une forteresse prévue pour sa défense, dite Château de la Tournelle, s’adosse à la tour.

[Illustration of the place]

A partir de 1632, grâce à saint Vincent de Paul, elle sert à loger dans des conditions I moins inhumaines les condamnés aux galères jusque-là incarcérés à la Conciergerie. L’ensemble est démoli à la fin du XVille siècle.

One of the series of signs describing historical places in Paris. The signs were placed starting in 1992 and are also called sucettes Starck (Starck’s Lollipops) after Philippe Starck who designed them.

The place where the sign stands was photographed on the same day Click for a larger image

The illustration in the center of the sign is shown here at magnification Click for a larger image

The Barbeau tower indicated on the sign as a tower on the other bank of the river connected to the tower on this bank, indicated on a separate sign Click for sign's details

Translation of the text on the sign:

[An illustration of a ship, symbolizing the symbol of Paris]

History of Paris

The Château de la Tournelle
Started at the beginning of the 13th century, the southern part of the enclosure of Philippe-Auguste, intended to favor the demographic development of the left bank, ended here. A tower was a pendant to the Barbeau tower, and every night chains stretched between them protected the city from any unpleasant surprises from the river. In 1369 a wooden bridge, several times carried away by the floods until its reconstruction in stone in 1656, connects the two banks; a fortress planned for its defence, called Château de la Tournelle, leans against the tower.

[Illustration of the place]

From 1632, thanks to Saint Vincent de Paul, it was used to house in less inhuman conditions those condemned to the galleys until then imprisoned in the Conciergerie. The whole was demolished at the end of the 12th century.