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Origin and history

The Brune Tower of Embrun is a former donjon of the archbishops of Embrun, built from the 13th century against the Archepiscopal Palace, near Notre Dame Cathedral. This square tower, crowned with merlons and mâchicoulis, embodied their temporal power and protected the canonial quarter. Its name would come from the tower of Ambrune, its medieval name. Over the centuries, it served as a dwelling, depot, prison, and was modified in the 17th or 18th century by the addition of five superimposed vaults to optimize space, to the detriment of vertical circulations.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1927, the tower underwent major changes: its wooden pyramidal frame was replaced in 1927 by a niche terrace roof inspired by the Papal Palace of Avignon. After the Revolution, it became a water reservoir for the barracks in the former archdiocese. Purchased by the city in 1934, it has been home to a landscape museum dedicated to the Écrins National Park since 1996, offering a multidisciplinary reading of the Alpine territories through its thematic levels.

The restoration work sparked discussions within the Higher Commission of Historic Monuments, including on the destruction of the inner vaults (XVIIth–XVIIIth centuries) to recover the original volume. This project, led by Chief Architect Alain Tillier, opened the summit to the public and set up an orientation table. The tower, 27 m high parallelepiped with 1.80 m thick walls, retains crossbow windows and a major western opening.

The museum concept, developed by Pascale Mottura (Prospective & Heritage) under the direction of architect Bruno Donzet, articulates each floor around a landscape theme: rock and time (level 0), water and light (level 1), memory of space (level 2), men and territories (level 3), and country/landscapes (terrace). This pioneering museum, inaugurated in 1996, relies on scientific partnerships to decipher the landscapes of the Écrins, making the tower an emblematic entrance door to the park.

The episcopal ensemble, whose tower is the last medieval vestige, also includes wings of the 15th–12th centuries, transformed into barracks in the 19th century. The ancient archbishopric, who was enrolled in the Historical Monuments in 2005, bears witness to the religious and military history of Embrun, from its founding as a diocese in 365 until its abolition in 1801. The drawings of Napoleonic prisoners attest to its use in prisons, while the military changes of the 19th century have profoundly altered the courts and buildings.

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