Tour Nichot de Fougères, Medieval fortified tower in Fougères, France.
Tour Nichot de Fougères is a round tower built of cornéenne rubble stone, banded by three courses of dressed granite. Its lower walls are pierced by long arrow slits with gun embrasures at their base, and a straight-lintel door opens on the east side at ground level. The tower is crowned by machicolations whose round arches rest on three-stepped corbels; the crenellated parapet, the small structure and its corner turret on top are modern.
The tower was built in the early 13th century under Raoul III to reinforce the southern defenses of the town. It remained part of the fortification system for centuries before later modifications changed its original appearance.
The tower now sits in a small garden that emerged after medieval buildings were demolished during the 1944 bombings. This setting shows how the town chose to preserve a key piece of its past even as much of the surrounding area was rebuilt.
The tower stands at 67 Rue de la Pinterie, its rear face opening onto a small square laid out after the 1944 bombing cleared the medieval plots. The square is open and free to enter, and the tower can be walked around; the machicolations and modern parapet are best seen from below.
The tower owes its name to André Almire, who owned it in the 1940s and 1950s before the town bought it back. The crenellated parapet, the small structure and its corner turret on top are modern additions, not medieval work.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,140 contributors worldwide.