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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Golden Goat Tower, located in Biot in the Alpes-Maritimes, is a pile-type Roman funerary monument, probably built in the 1st century AD. Built on the edge of an ancient (perhaps Roman) way, it is distinguished by an upper niche housing a statue, and a funeral chamber at its foot. His style evokes the Augustan era, according to archaeologist Jules Formigé. Ranked a historic monument in 1943, it dominates the Brague plain, on the old Clausonnes road linking Biot to Vallauris.

Gold Goat refers to a Mediterranean legend related to the Sarrasin invasions (IXth–Xth centuries), where this fabulous animal kept treasures. The surrounding archaeological site reveals other ancient remains: tile chest tombs and the reuse of dedicatory blocks. The tower, acquired by the municipality of Biot in 2022, has undergone restoration since 2025. Its architecture combines a rectangular masonry massif (5.80 × 2.35 m, initially 10 m high) and a walled enclosure of 4.50 m side, probably delineating a funeral chamber.

The upper niche, visible from afar, housed the statue of the deceased, while the enclosed space in front of the tower contained cinematic ballot boxes. This type of monument, rare in Provence-Alpes-Côte d的Azur, recalls the batteries of the great French Southwest. The Torre di Cimella in Cimiez was the only other regional example. The excavations and studies, such as those of Jules Formigé (1942) and Joseph-Antoine Durbec (2007), highlight his role in local Roman funeral rites.

The 1943 classification protected this vestige, now accessible via the Chemin de la Gour-d'Or. Its state of conservation, despite partial abrasions, allows to study the techniques of Roman construction (parament of limestone bellows, bolt holes). The site is part of a wider archaeological landscape, reflecting the ancient occupation of the region, between Antibes and the Nice hinterland.

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