The tour Carbonnière, located in the commune of Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze, in the Gard department of Occitanie, France, was built at the end of the 13th century to protect the walled city of Aigues-Mortes. The tower was a crucial component of the city’s defenses, serving as a toll point and a fortress guarding the kingdom. The tower stands in the middle of the marshes, between the Vistre and the Rhône canal in Sète, on the old road linking Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze to Aigues-Mortes.
Its terrace offers a panoramic view of the Petite Camargue. The tower was mentioned for the first time in a text dated 1346, which states that it is the ‘key to the kingdom’ in this region. The tower's terrace could support up to four pieces of artillery. Halfway up, the tower features a row of more regular, darker-colored boss stones. Some ashlars show job marks similar to those found on the ramparts of Aigues-Mortes. The road once crossed the tower, with a portcullis and a low arch.
The base and the top of the southern and northern facades are pierced with two large loopholes. The parapet of the platform which surmounts the tower has a single niche on each face. The watchtower at each angle of the parapet is a watchtower. It was classified as a historical monument in 1889. In 2009, work was done on the Carbonnière tower to ensure public safety, and a discovery trail was created in the surrounding marsh.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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