Enceinte bastionnée de Tours, Renaissance city walls in Tours, France
The Enceinte bastionnée de Tours is a fortified wall system built in the late 16th century that winds through sections of the city. The structure features multiple gates and fortified points constructed with stone, displaying the military construction methods typical of that era.
Construction began in 1591 as a response to military threats of the era, intended to shield the city from attack. This project reshaped how Tours developed physically and left marks that remain visible across the urban landscape.
The fortifications shape how people move through Tours today, with residents and visitors using the preserved sections as walking routes and landmarks. You can see these stones woven into the modern city's layout and feel how they anchor the local sense of place.
Several sections are open for walking, where you can examine the stonework and construction details from the period. It works best to explore on foot and visit different sections gradually, as they are spread throughout the city.
Many sections preserve bastions built with carefully angled corners designed so cannons could fire in multiple directions. This specialized defensive design was a hallmark of military engineering from that period.
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