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Origin and history

The Eygliers Tower, built between the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, is part of the walls of Guillestre built under the impulse of Archbishop Michel Estienne de Perellos. The latter, commissioned by the inhabitants in 1390, designs an oval route encompassing the old town and the new neighborhoods, connected to the archiepiscopal castle by ten towers and four gates. The materials used – pebbles, stone blocks and lime mortar – and the construction technique (Milanese masons led by Albert Réotier and Raymond Martin) reflect the know-how of the time. The tower, with a semicircular plan and open to the throat, peaks at 15 meters with five levels, including an attic covered with larch shingles.

In 1397, the Eygliers tower collapsed during the work, delaying the construction. The ramparts, repaired several times (including in 1621 and 1692 after damage caused by Savoyard invasions), fell into disuse in the 18th century. The courtings are pierced, the ditches are filled, and the monumental doors (like that of Saint Sebastian) disappear, with the exception of remains like a pink marble legging. The tower of Eygliers, better preserved than the other four towers transformed into houses, today bears witness to this medieval defensive system, classified as Historical Monument in 1978.

The archiepiscopal castle, attested from 1251 and dominating the city in the east, served as refuge for the Guillestrins during the conflicts. Composed of a quadrangular courtine and semicircular towers, it was demolished in the late eighteenth century, leaving no visible trace. The ramparts, originally designed to protect the city from armed troops, are partially in the current urban landscape, with visible traces along Julien-Guillaume streets, Champs-Élysées, or Sainte-Catherine squares and the Portal. Four vaulted passages (including the Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Louis gates) still remind the original defensive organization.

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