Charlemagne Tower

You can immediately tell that you’re stepping into another era with the Charlemagne Tower standing before you. It’s one of the few remnants of the former Basilica of Saint-Martin, which was destroyed in 1797, along with the Clock Tower and the Saint-Martin Cloister. It’s called the Charlemagne Tower because, reportedly, Charlemagne’s fourth wife died during one of their trips to Tours, prompting the king to choose it as her burial place. We’re not entirely sure about all this, as the tomb has never been formally identified, so who knows? Anyway, what we do know is that there was indeed a grand Romanesque basilica here. In 1790, like all religious buildings in France, it was declared national property. However, the unfortunate structure suffered numerous thefts, particularly of lead from the roofs and metal structures from the vaults. After enduring several rains and storms, it began to deteriorate significantly, necessitating its complete destruction. As the new emporor, Napoleon, had just been crowned, it was decided to keep and restore only the Charlemage Tower in his honour. Indeed, Napoleon saw himself not as the successor of Louis XIV, but rather that of Charlemagne! He said so himself during his coronation. Well, in the end, the tower wasn’t restored, but it’s thanks to Napoleon that it’s still standing before you. For a fee, you can climb the 248 steps of the tower to enjoy a 360° view of the city.