Tour Jacquemart, Fortified tower in Romans-sur-Isère, France.
The Tour Jacquemart is a 37-metre tower of grey and brown stone blocks, the surviving gate of the town's first wall, built in 1174. Its rough masonry carries lighter, smoother patches, notably a vertical strip and a large irregular section near the base. Round clock faces with dark hands sit on the upper facades, with rows of double-hook metal anchors below them, and a slender open belfry with a pointed roof and bells crowns the top.
The tower was built in 1174 as part of the first city wall and later integrated into the Montségur fortress. From 1344 to 1835 it served as a prison before changing its role entirely.
The Jacquemart is a wooden automaton about 2.6 m tall, sheathed in zinc, standing beside the great bell on a pedestal against the south face of the belfry. Its costume has changed with regimes: Polish lancer under the First Empire, troubadour under the Restoration, and for over a century the uniform of the Volunteers of 1792, recalling Romans' role in the early Revolution.
Climbing to the observation platform requires reasonable fitness due to the many steps in the tight spiral staircase. Wearing comfortable shoes is advisable and checking conditions beforehand helps, especially on rainy days.
The Jacquemart is not inside the tower but mounted on a pedestal against the south face of the belfry, beside the great bell. Sculpted in wood and later covered with zinc, it stands almost 2.6 metres tall and has been dressed in the uniform of the Volunteers of 1792 for over a century, recalling Romans' role in the early French Revolution.
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