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Origin and history

The Melusine Tower is the dungeon of an ancient castle built in Vouvant, Vendée, probably between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century. It is distinguished by its cylindrical shape and its height of 36 meters, atypical for the time, where the dungeons of the region were generally square, in "Niorta" style. This vestige, the only rest of the castle of the lords of Lusignan, was originally surrounded by a courtine and separated from the city by a dry ditch. Its architecture comprises five levels, including a terrace with stunning views of the Mervent-Vouvant forest and the surrounding area.

The local legend attributes its construction in a single night to the fairy Melusine, starting from "three doronées of stones and a gully of Eve". This mythical figure is also associated with a 16th-century fountain, formerly located in the courtyard of the castle, where a statue of Melusine, holding a mirror and a comb, allowed water to flow through its breasts. Today, only one of the four original statues remains, preserved in the park of the private castle of the Recepta.

The Melusine Tower was included in the additional inventory of historic monuments on 12 February 1927. Its entrance, located on the second level, was formerly accessible by a mobile ladder or wooden balcony. The upper levels, connected by a screw staircase, housed vaulted rooms with fireplaces and latrines. The third level provided access to the round road, while the summit provided a strategic view of the fortified city and its surroundings.

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