Tour Camoufle, Gothic defense tower in Metz, France.
Tour Camoufle is a circular three-story stone tower with a steep roof, standing at the former southeast corner of Metz's medieval fortifications. The structure displays the solid masonry characteristic of defensive towers from this era.
Built in 1437 on the site of a Gallo-Roman tower, this fortification served as a strategic defense point during conflicts between lords of the Holy Roman Empire. It was part of a larger network of towers protecting the city.
The tower takes its name from Jacob de Castel, a skilled 15th-century artillery officer who defended the city with great precision. This connection to local military heritage remains part of how residents remember the fortifications.
The tower stands on Avenue Foch and currently functions as a storage facility for the city's maintenance and grounds equipment. The former fortification remains visible from the street, though it is not open to visitors inside.
The walls bear visible cannonball scars from the sieges of 1444 and 1552, showing direct traces of past conflicts. These marks and dents in the stone surface stand as silent witnesses to the military history.
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