Tour Philippe le Bon, 15th-century watchtower in Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, France.
Tour Philippe le Bon is a substantial stone structure that rises prominently within the palace courtyard and forms the central focus of the ducal complex. Its thick walls, narrow openings, and crenellated crown reflect its original purpose as a defensive and observational stronghold.
The tower was built between 1450 and 1460 by architect Jean Poncelet for Duke Philip the Good, on the site of the 12th-century Tour de Brancion, itself probably built on a tower of a Gallo-Roman castrum. Originally a watchtower over Dijon, it became a symbol of the dukes' power. In the 18th century it housed an observatory, and in the 19th century a relay of the Chappe Paris–Toulon telegraph line stood on its summit.
The tower is named after Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, who commissioned it between 1450 and 1460. Its 316-step spiral stair once served the ducal residence and ends under a four-part rib vault resting on a helical column and carved wall corbels. In the 18th century it housed an observatory, which the Société astronomique de Bourgogne works to revive; in the 19th century a Chappe telegraph relay of the Paris–Toulon line stood on its summit.
The climb to the top uses a 316-step spiral staircase that ends under a four-part rib vault resting on a helical column and carved corbels. Wear shoes suited to worn stone steps and allow time to rest on the way up. The tower can be visited on a guided tour.
The tower's 316-step spiral stair ends under a four-part rib vault resting on a helical column and carved corbels on the walls. In the 18th century the tower housed an observatory, which the Société astronomique de Bourgogne works to revive; in the 19th century a Chappe telegraph relay on the Paris–Toulon line stood on its summit.
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