Roussillon Belfry, Historic site and belfry in Roussillon, France
The Beffroi de Roussillon, also called the Porte du Castrum, is a historic tower at the edge of the old town of Roussillon, in southern France. It was built as the main entrance gate to a fortified settlement and is topped by a small bell tower, known as a campanile.
The Porte du Castrum was built during the Middle Ages as the entrance gate to a fortified village, forming part of a defensive wall that protected its inhabitants. In the 19th century, the tower was reworked and repurposed as the bell tower for the local church.
The Beffroi de Roussillon, also known as the Porte du Castrum, displays four sundials on its outer walls, each painted in a different color. One of them serves as the backdrop for a modern clock face, which runs throughout the day.
The tower stands in a narrow lane in the old part of Roussillon and is easy to reach on foot while walking through the village. It can be seen from the outside at any time, and the surrounding paved streets are worth exploring at a slow pace.
The narrow lane where the tower stands was once called "rue de la bistourle" because it connected two towers of the old town wall. The name and layout show how the whole network of village paths was once organized around these fortifications.
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