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Origin and history

The Valois tower, located at Sainte-Colombe on the right bank of the Rhone opposite Vienna, was built in 1336 on the orders of Philippe VI de Valois. This king aspired to control Vienna and s'empara of the suburb of St Colombe in 1334, integrating into the royal domain by letters patent. The tower, 30 meters high and equipped with niches and murderous, served both as a defence for Sainte-Colombe and as a threat to Vienna, a coveted city. A house attired to the viguier (judge-governor appointed by the king) was attached to it, connected by a door today walled.

The building of the tower is part of a conflict between Philip VI and Archbishop Bertrand de La Chapelle, accused of yielding too easily to royal demands. The chapter of Vienna resisted fiercely, causing a crisis requiring the intervention of Pope John XXII in 1334. Despite a pontifical bubble ordering an arbitration, the king ignored the procedure and strengthened Sainte-Colombe, erecting this square tower at the entrance of the bridge over the Rhone, symbol of his authority.

The tower, the only vestige of the ramparts of Sainte-Colombe, was classified as a historic monument in 1919. Over the centuries, it lost its military function: transformed into a pasta factory, warehouse or coal store, it belonged to the Garon family until 2008, when the commune became its owner. Today, it is not open to the public, but it preserves its thaws and traces of machicoulis, testimonies of its medieval past.

The vigoers, royal governors staying in the house, marked local history. Among them were Jean de La Garde (first viguier in 1343), Aynard de Villeneuve (1417–160), or Armand de Foyssins (which was completed in 1599). Their role was both judicial and military, embodying French authority in this border area with the Dauphiné.

Architecturally, the tower is distinguished by its almost square plan, its two interior staircases (today disappeared), and its upper terrace equipped with schauguettes. Thick walls and murderers recall its defensive use, while niches evoke subsequent adaptations. Historical sources, such as the writings of Nicolas Chorier (1828), underline its strategic importance in the rivalries between the crown of France and local lords.

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