Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Tour du Moulin, located in Marcigny en Saône-et-Loire, is a vestige of the priory of the Benedictine Ladies founded in the 11th century by Geoffroy and Hugues de Semur. Originally built between 1480 and 1520 as a defensive tower and fortified mill, it symbolizes allegiance to the French Crown after the annexation of Burgundy in 1477. Its architectural features, such as bosses and cannons, reflect the military art of Louis XI. The tower, 25 meters high with a thick wall of 2.80 m at the base, houses a 15th century chestnut frame, masterpiece of artisanal mastery.

The tower was transformed into an attic and then became a municipal museum in 1913 thanks to the initiative of two local scholars, Jean-Baptiste Derost and François Ginet-Donati. The museum, labeled Musée de France in 2002, exhibits various collections: geology, paleontology, archaeology (from prehistory to the Middle Ages), fine arts, apothecary, and objects related to local history. Private donations, notably those of Charles Damiron, a lawyer and collector, enriched his holdings, including faience, majolica, religious sculptures and Gallo-Roman remains.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1909, the tower illustrates the turbulent history of Marcigny, from his Neandertalian occupations (200 000 BC) to his strategic role during the Armagnac and Bourguignon War. The museum offers guided tours, workshops and temporary exhibitions, highlighting its medieval garden and exceptional structure. The historic pharmacy of the civil hospice, with 113 pots in Nevers faience, and the bronze cannons of the eighteenth century are among its main pieces.

The archaeological collections cover key periods: Paleolithic, Bronze Age, Gallo-Roman era (with objects of the Marciniacum statio), and Middle Ages. Models and didactic games facilitate the understanding of times. The museum also preserves works of art such as dishes by Bernard Palissy, religious paintings, and objects linked to local personalities, such as Irene Popard or General Perrin de Précy. The tower, opened from April to October, attracts visitors by its military, religious and scientific heritage.

The building, built in yellow limestone, presents round balls on its walls, interpreted as symbols of foster mothers or stone balls linked to the nascent artillery. The conical frame, unique in France, and the roof was rebuilt in 1993 underline its architectural importance. The museum, despite a decline in attendance between 2020 and 2022 due to the pandemic, has experienced a renewed interest since 2023, confirming its cultural and tourist role in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

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