Tour Leroy, Fortified tower in Caen, France
Tour Leroy is a fortified tower in Caen built from local limestone with four levels rising from a ground chamber through two upper stories to a rooftop platform. Thick stone walls and narrow slits for defense characterize its medieval structure.
Built around 1400 as part of Caen's defensive system, this tower was linked by chain to the Tour aux Landais to guard the medieval port entrance. Later centuries saw it repurposed as a prison for smugglers until restoration work brought it back in 1879.
The structure demonstrates medieval military architecture through its thick limestone walls, narrow windows, and external staircase access from city fortifications.
The tower sits near Caen Castle, making it easy to visit as part of a walk around the city's old fortifications. Plan time to explore the surrounding medieval walls and castle area in the same visit.
The tower was built using limestone quarried from beneath Caen itself, connecting it to centuries of the city's building tradition. This local stone ties its construction directly to how other structures throughout Caen were also made.
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