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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Isleau Tower, located in Saint-Sulpice-d'Arnoult, New Aquitaine, is a 12th century feudal vestige. This square dungeon, 11 metres long and 17 metres high, once surrounded by a quadrangular enclosure, dominates a marsh from a small eminence. It represents one of the oldest military monuments in the region, although its attribution to Henry III Plantagenet remains uncertain.

The first attested lord is Pont de Vivonne Chevalier, mentioned in an admission of 1368 as owner of the "Chastellerie de Lileau". In the 17th and 18th centuries, the estate belonged to the Barons de la Chaume. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, he passed successively into the hands of John III Isle de la Cave (heir in 1521), François Isle de la Matassière (1557), and Daniel Isle de Forgette (1578). A Prevost, Lord of Isleau, is also cited in the heraldic archives.

Abandoned in the 19th century by farmers, the dungeon was invaded by vegetation until its restoration initiated in 1974 by private owners. Nearby remain the ruins of a chapel, vestige of an ancient medieval village. The tower was listed as historic monuments by order of May 14, 1925, emphasizing its heritage importance.

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