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Origin and history

The Tower of the Rondes, located in Lavaur in Tarn (Occitanie), is the only remaining vestige of the medieval fortifications of the city. Built before the 12th century as a circular brick tower, it was one of the walls protecting the city on the south side, near Naridelle Creek. This natural ravine forced travellers between Toulouse and Castres to cross Lavaur, strengthening its strategic role. The tower played a key role during the siege of 1211 by Simon IV de Montfort during the Crusade des Albigeois, then was partially dismantled after the Treaty of Paris (1229), before being rebuilt to defend itself from Anglo-Gascon attacks.

Over the centuries, the tower was completely renovated in 1627, adopting musket openings and a structure close to the present. In the 17th century, a project of transformation into a slaughterhouse (tuadou) failed due to lack of funds; It then served as a stable before being acquired by the commune in 1826. Renamed "Tower of the executioner" in the 19th century (in reference to the revolutionary guillotine preserved in Lavaur), it became a public killing for the slaughter of pigs until 1871, then home to public weight and a philharmonic society. Restorations took place in 1879 and between 1986 and 1988.

Since 1992, the Round Tower has hosted the Lavaur Tourist Office and an exhibition hall. Joined the Historical Monuments in 1971, it illustrates the evolution of a medieval defensive work in a civil and cultural place. Its architecture combines bricks and limestone bellows, with still visible firemouths, and ends with characteristic genoese. The tower also symbolizes the urban transformations of Lavaur, such as the partial filling of the ditches in the 18th century to trace the road to Castres.

Historical sources point to its link with regional conflicts: the Albigesian Crusade, the Wars of Religion, and tensions with the Anglo-Gascon troops of the Black Prince. Its name "Tower of the executioner" in the 19th century reflects a local memory marked by the Revolution, although the guillotine was never installed. Today, it embodies both the Occitan military heritage and the civilian appropriation of medieval remains.

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