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Origin and history

The Grimaldi Tower, located in Antibes in the Alpes-Maritimes, is a medieval building whose exact date of construction remains uncertain due to the destruction of the archives. It would have been erected after the reconquest of the region on the Saracens, probably at the end of the 11th century or in the 12th century, at the same time as the Suquet tower in Cannes. Its construction coincided with the domination of the seigneury of Antibes by Rodoard's family, before it was ceded in 1275 to the bishop of Grasse. The tower, of square shape and 30 meters high, has marked defensive features, such as 2 meters thick walls at the base and original accesses designed to be protected.

In 1383 the seigneury of Antibes, including the tower, was engaged by Clement VII to the Grimaldi against 9,000 guilders, a transfer contested by Martin V and confirmed by Eugene IV in favour of the Grimaldi. Antoine Grimaldi, who died in 1358, was responsible for the Grimaldi branch of Antibes. The tower, which was designed as a reduced seat, had limited access: a 6-metre-high walled door, accessible only by a mobile ladder, and narrow openings (barbacans) for the upper floors. The stones used, often recovered from Roman buildings, sometimes carry inscriptions or ancient architectural elements.

The tower changed hands in 1608 when Henry IV purchased the temporal jurisdiction of the seigneury from Alexander of Grimaldi for 250,000 pounds, before abandoning it to the inhabitants of Antibes. Guillaume du Vair, the first president of Aix's parliament, was sent to establish royal authority. Ranked a historical monument in 1945, the Grimaldi Tower illustrates medieval defensive architecture and power struggles between noble families, bishops and crown of France in south-eastern France. Its interior, divided into four floors with uneven heights, reflects its use both defensive and symbolic, with a top platform accessible by a stone staircase.

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