Tourreluque, Medieval gunpowder magazine in Aix-en-Provence, France
Tourreluque is a polygonal corner tower featuring arrowslits and large oval gun ports built into its stone walls. The structure shows the typical design of a medieval defense installation with carefully positioned openings for defenders.
Built around 1360, this tower formed part of the city walls during a period when Aix-en-Provence expanded to shelter people fleeing epidemics. The reinforcement of its defenses reflected the growing population and the need to protect the expanding settlement.
The name Tourreluque comes from the Provençal word 'tourreluco', which describes its original role as a lookout point above the city. This linguistic heritage tells us how medieval Aix-en-Provence's people named the structures that protected them.
The tower sits at the northern edge of the thermal baths area and is accessible from Avenue Jean-Jaurès nearby. Walking around the exterior allows you to see all sides of the structure and notice the different defensive features built into its walls.
The tower features machicolations at its top, a defensive feature that gave defenders a strategic advantage. Unlike many other medieval structures, a cannon embrasure was integrated into its adjoining walls during the 1500s, showing how it adapted to newer weapons.
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