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Origin and history

The medieval tower of Gallargues-le-Montieux, often mistakenly called Roman tower, is in reality a medieval construction dated from the late 13th or early 14th century. Located on Rue de la Réforme, it was erected as a tower of surveillance, without any marked defensive vocation (absence of archeries or defence systems). Unlike similar buildings such as the Carbonnière Tower or the Aigues-Mortes ramparts, it did not have chimneys or latrines, excluding residential use.

In the 16th or 17th century, improvements were added: a floor created a second level, a staircase was built, and a firemouth was opened. Sold as a national property in Year II (1794) to a mason master, the tower was bought by the army in 1831. From 1832 to 1852, it housed a relay of the Chappe optical telegraph, one of the 534 links of the national network. A turret was then added to support the mechanism.

Ranked a historic monument in 1875, the tower was acquired by the town in 1876. In 1885, his coronation was raised to accommodate a girouette with Victor Hugo's effigy. Restored between 1987 and 1992 under the control of the Historic Monuments, it has since 2010 been home to a functional replica of the Chappe telegraph, inaugurated thanks to the Gallargo Heritage Association and partners such as Histelpost.

Archaeological surveys showed no evidence of pre-medieval construction. Its architecture, comparable to that of the walls of Aigues-Mortes, confirms its dating at the hinge of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Today, the tower still dominates the village and bears witness to its evolution, from medieval surveillance to technical innovations of the nineteenth century.

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