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Origin and history

The House of the Tower, located in Angers in the department of Maine-et-Loire, is a historical monument dating back to the second half of the 15th century or the first quarter of the 16th century. It is distinguished by a tower of staircase in hors-oeuvre screws, built in tuft, which gives it its name. This tower, still visible at the corner of two streets, was already mentioned under this name in the eighteenth century. The adjacent facade, made of wood on two square floors, combines local materials: the ground floor in tuffeau, the rest in shale, and an initial torchi-shaped hurdles (replaced by brick during a restoration). Covers include long-paned roofs for the house and a polygonal roof for the tower.

The house is also known as "the Crescent", according to a censif of the 17th century cathedral. This denomination could refer to the order of the Crescent, founded in 1448 by René d'Anjou, although there is no document proving a direct link between the monument and this chivalry order. The weapons of Saint Maurice (later added) and the motto "loz en crescent", engraved above the gate of the tower, reinforce this hypothesis. The Gothic door vantals, visible today, seem to have been reported during the 1962 restoration, led by architect Angelvin Henri Enguehard. This intervention modified certain elements, such as the torchi-burden replaced by brick, and restored windows to their original state.

Classified as a Historic Monument by order of 10 June 1961, the house protects its facades on streets and corresponding roofs. Owned by a private company, it illustrates medieval civil architecture, mixing defensive functionality (scaling tower) and symbolic ornamentation (references to the order of the Crescent). Its present state is the result of both its original construction and modern restorations, particularly that of the 1960s.

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