Tour Carbonnière, Medieval tower in Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze, France.
The Tour Carbonnière is a stone watchtower located at the border between marshlands where the Vistre river and the Rhône canal meet. The structure is marked by observation loopholes in its northern and southern facades and features corner watchtowers on its upper platform.
The tower was built at the end of the 13th century as part of the fortifications of Aigues-Mortes. It served to protect the walled city and control passage through a toll system.
The tower shares the same masonry style as the fortifications of Aigues-Mortes, with distinctive stone patterns and builders' marks on its walls. These architectural details connect it directly to the medieval walled city nearby.
You can reach the tower by walking along a boardwalk path and climb to the viewing platform, which contains corner watchtowers and observation points. The climb is doable, though access depends on weather conditions and maintenance status.
The structure features half-dark-colored boss stones positioned midway up its walls. These distinctive stones give the tower an unusual visual quality that sets it apart from other watchtowers of its era.
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