Tour de Bonvouloir, Medieval fortified tower in Juvigny Val d'Andaine, France.
The Tour de Bonvouloir is a fortified tower standing about 26 meters tall, surrounded by defensive moats and remnants of what was once a noble residence. The structure displays typical features of a late medieval defensive building.
Built in 1485, this tower was part of a larger castle complex and served as a strategic defensive position in Normandy. It represents the military architecture of the late medieval period in the region.
The tower's name comes from the Achard de Bonvouloir family, to whom the fief passed in 1515; several of its members were governors of Domfront. In the 18th century the dovecote was installed in an older castle tower, and the chapel was later converted into a dwelling, which is why it has a chimney. Visitors can still see the dovecote, the chapel and the 33-metre well beside the tower.
The tower stands at the edge of the Andaine forest, 1.6 km north-northeast of the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church in Juvigny-sous-Andaine. The exterior can be visited freely all year, with no booking; the stone stairway inside the turret leads to the top, where the surrounding countryside comes into view.
The tall cylindrical turret, called Le Phare (the Lighthouse), reaches 26.50 metres and holds a stone staircase to its top, where the surrounding Andaine forest comes into view. The entrance door below is protected by a small bretèche. The whole complex, tower, dovecote, well and chapel, was classified on 4 July 1995.
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