The Valois tower is located in the town of Sainte-Colombe, in the Rhône department, 11 km northeast of Condrieu.
It is located to the east of the town, on the right bank of the Rhône, and faces the city of Vienne, on the left bank.
Then integrated into the ramparts protecting Sainte-Colombe, it was erected in 1336 by the King of France Philippe VI (hence the name given to the building).
As early as 1333, the sovereign had expressed his desire to seize the village, which was in a way a suburb of Vienna, then the seat of a fiefdom of the Holy Roman Empire.
Despite the Archbishop of Vienne's reservations, in 1334, Philip VI united Sainte-Colombe to his kingdom and had the town fortified. This is how the tower was erected in 1336, which watched over the bridge leading to Vienne while concretizing the royal will to seize, in the long term, the city and the lands established on the left bank of the Rhône…
30 meters high, square in plan, equipped with loopholes, crenellations and watchtowers, the Valois tower once communicated with the home of a viguier (magistrate) made governor by the king who further symbolized French ambitions...
Later, having lost all military function, the tower which houses a staircase leading to the floors, was transformed into a warehouse and even a pasta factory.
Currently owned by the municipality, listed in the Inventory, the tower is only open to the public very occasionally. However, this medieval heritage can be observed from the outside. Information on +33 4 75 53 70 10.
