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Origin and history

The tower of torment of the Sagnes is an emblematic building located in the hamlet of the Sagnes, on the town of Saint-Julien-du-Tournel, in Lozère. Built in the 19th century, it is distinguished by its truncated pyramidal structure, surmounted by a stone slab engraved with a chronogram. A cast iron bell, decorated with reliefs and inscriptions, is supported by an element of ironwork, while its yoke is made of stone. This type of bell tower, unique to the surroundings of Mount Lozère, was used for a variety of purposes: angelic, glass, school alerts, storm prevention, or guidance for people lost in fog.

These bell towers, often erected in hamlets without churches, were sound and social landmarks. Their architecture, close to the single bay bell towers, rests on a tapered rectangular base upwards. Some have a niche housing a religious statue or a small lodge for the sounder. The bell tower of the Sagnes, inscribed in historical monuments since 1992, illustrates this 19th century local tradition, with a bell founded by Fayet de Mende and a sommital stone dated 1856.

Their role has now been reduced to ice and fire alarms, but they remain evidence of community life and the rural construction techniques of the time. These buildings, often surmounted by an iron or stone cross, reflect the ingenuity of mountain populations to adapt to the geographical and climatic constraints of the region.

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