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Origin and history

The ramparts of Roye constitute the remains of a medieval fortified enclosure located in the south-east of the department of the Somme, in the Hauts-de-France region. These fortifications, now partially extinct, originally included seven towers and three access gates, only the St. Lawrence Tower. Built in the 15th century in brick on a sandstone base, this massive tower still bears the stigma of the fighting, including the impact of pellets dating from the siege of 1653 led by the troops of the Grand Condé at the service of Spain. The adjacent sandstone courtine, a northern extension of the tower, reflects the bastioned reinforcements added in the 16th century.

The city of Roye, strategic, suffered numerous assaults between 1419 and 1653, including two sacks by the Spanish armies. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659) and the annexation of the Artois by France, the ramparts, which became obsolete, were gradually dismantled in the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite the massive destruction of the First World War, which razed much of the city, a portion of the ramparts survived. The remaining remains, including the St. Lawrence Tower and its courtine, were included in the additional inventory of historic monuments in 1992. Today they belong to the commune.

The medieval enclosure, originally designed to protect the city, reflects the military evolutions of its time. The bastions added in the 16th century illustrate the adaptation to the new siege techniques, while the traces of fighting on the St. Lawrence Tower recall the Franco-Spanish conflicts. After their abandonment, the ramparts were partly converted into a public promenade, marking their transition from defensive to civilian use. Their preservation, despite wars and dismantlings, makes it a rare testimony of Picardy military architecture.

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