Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Roquette Tower, located in the eponymous district of Arles, was built in 1372 under the name of the Leonet tower, named after its owner Esteve Leonet. It then became the tower of the Killing or Scorcher because of its use as a slaughterhouse. This area, formerly called Bourg des Porcelet or Vieux-Bourg, was a medieval suburb structured around the churches of Saint-Laurent and Sainte-Croix, populated by fishermen and artisans linked to the Rhône. It was surrounded by ramparts in the 13th century and was reinforced in the face of external threats (Routiers, Catalan corsairs, Provence Succession War).

In the 15th century, the tower embodied the defensive tensions of Arles, marked by internal conflicts (the headquarters of Du Guesclin) and rivalries between neighbourhoods. During the Revolution, the Roquette, a stronghold of the Monnaiders (revolutionary party), was used by the royalists of the Highland. The area declined with the arrival of the railway (circa 1850), losing its river activity, before being reborn as a reception area for immigration waves. Today, it combines medieval heritage and urban dynamism, with its narrow streets and restored private hotels.

The tower, classified as a Historic Monument in 1927, is a vestige of medieval ramparts. His name also evokes the ruins of the nearby Roman circus, although this hypothesis remains debated. The neighbourhood, once marginalized, is now a lively place of life, mixing historical memory (presumed house of Isabelt Roux, local figure) and modernity, with shops and renovated houses. Its identity lies in its artisanal heritage and its strategic position between Rhône and downtown.

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