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Origin and history

The Clementine Tower, located in Monteux in the Vaucluse, is a 11th century vestige. It was originally part of the Château de Monteux, destroyed by a fire in the 14th century. Today, it is the only remaining element of this medieval fortress, bearing witness to the defensive architecture of the time. His name pays tribute to Pope Clement V, the first pope to settle the papacy in Comtat Venaissin, then owned by the Holy See. Prior to the construction of the Palace of the Popes of Avignon, Clement V lived in a mobile way, especially in Monteux and Malaucène.

The tower, 28 meters high for 8 meters wide, is distinguished by thick walls of 2 meters, characteristic of the military buildings of the period. It has been listed as a historical monument since 1910 and today belongs to the commune of Monteux. Its state of conservation and its history make it a symbol of the medieval Provençal heritage, linked to the period when the region was under pontifical influence.

Comtat Venaissin, an ecclesiastical territory in the Middle Ages, played a strategic role between the Kingdom of France and the Papal States. Castles like Monteux served both as seigneurial residences and defence points. Clement V's presence in the region marked local history, strengthening the links between religious power and existing infrastructure, the tower of which is one of the last testimonies.

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