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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The enclosure of Auch, located on the eastern side of the upper city, is a defensive work dating from the Lower Empire or the Upper Middle Ages. It extends over three existing cadastral plots, integrating houses. The Tower of the Penitents-Bleus, probably full, is the only visible vestige of these ancient ramparts. Its architectural apparatus alternates rows of small apparatus stones and flat bricks, with a base in large apparatus. The cellars of nearby houses extend the courtine on both sides, revealing the original extent of the enclosure.

Classified as a historical monument by order of May 22, 1964, this tower is the oldest preserved building in Auch. In the 16th century, Belleforest's plan attested to three similar round towers near the archdiocese, now extinct. These ramparts illustrated the strategic importance of the city during the late antiquity and early Middle Ages, a period marked by urban recompositions and increased protection needs.

The construction uses a characteristic apparatus, mixing bricks and stones, a technique common in fortifications of this time. The tower, without apparent opening, could have had a purely defensive or symbolic function. Its current state, integrated with modern buildings, reflects successive urban transformations, while preserving a rare architectural heritage. Excavations and studies, such as those cited by Magali Cabarrou in 2016, highlight his interest in understanding the evolution of South-West cities between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

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