Tour Grimaldi, Medieval tower in Antibes, France
The Grimaldi Tower is a medieval defensive structure in Antibes with four interior levels. The ground floor is noticeably taller than the three upper stories, which are uniform in size and divide the space into different functional areas.
The tower was built after the defeat of the Saracens in 974 and was part of the fortified settlement granted to Rodoard, leader of the house of Grasse. Only centuries later did the Grimaldi family acquire the fortress in 1383 for 9,000 florins.
The exterior walls incorporate stone and inscriptions from Roman buildings that were reused in the structure. These materials show the long history of the city and how earlier civilizations were built into new construction.
The tower is located in the old town of Antibes and is easy to reach when exploring the historic streets. The structure is relatively compact, so visitors can quickly walk around it and view it from the outside.
Though it bears the Grimaldi name, the tower had already stood for several centuries before that family acquired it. This mismatch between name and actual origin is an interesting detail of local history showing how structures outlived their original owners and took on new identities.
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