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Origin and history

The tower of Ganne, built in 1127 by Louis VI, is an ancient dungeon, part of a royal castle of the 12th and 13th centuries. This site was a popular residence of the Queens of France, especially during the period when Grez-sur-Loing was dependent on the dowry of Blanche de Castille. The castle, largely destroyed during the Hundred Years' War (fires of 1358 and 1370), retained only this dungeon as a major vestige.

The tower illustrates the strategic importance of Grez-sur-Loeng, a fortified city with four gates and an influential market. After its partial destruction, the site gradually lost its political and military role, although the tower, classified as a Historic Monument in 1907, remains a testament to this royal past. The once prosperous commune declined economically after the Prussian invasions of 1870, before being reborn as an artistic resort in the late 19th century.

In the 19th century, Grez-sur-Loing attracted impressionist and Scandinavian painters, seduced by its landscapes and light. The tower of Ganne, a medieval symbol, contrasts with this later artistic vocation, embodying both the military heritage of Gâtinais and the cultural transformation of the region. Today it belongs to the commune and remains a major historical point of interest, open to the visit.

The site is also linked to the local Templar History: the command office of Beauvais-en-Gâtinais, located nearby, owned property in the area until the 13th century. Although this commandery has disappeared, its existence reinforces the historical and medieval character of Grez-sur-Loeng, completing the account of the tower of Ganne.

Ranked among the oldest remains of Seine-et-Marne, the tower of Ganne offers an overview of the 12th century defensive architecture. Its state of conservation, despite successive destructions, allows us to study the royal construction techniques of the time. It is part of a larger heritage complex, including the Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Laurent church (XII century) and the old bridge, both protected under the Historic Monuments.

Finally, the tower of Ganne is a marker of the evolution of Grez-sur-Loeng, moving from a medieval fortified town to an artistic village, then to a contemporary touristic municipality. Its history reflects the political, military and cultural upheavals that have shaped Île-de-France and Gâtinais since the Middle Ages.

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