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Origin and history

The "Salt Grenier" tower is a vestige of an ancient seigneurial house located in Cholet, Maine-et-Loire department. This building, dated from the 16th century, is distinguished by its square structure with cut strips, supplemented by a round turret. Originally, it would have housed a salt attic until the beginning of the 17th century, although this function is today debated by historians. An interior Renaissance staircase served the houses of the officers or stewards of the seigneury, located in an adjacent impasse.

The origin of the name "Salt Grenier" could come from historical confusion. In the 1760s, the tower and its home belonged to René Joseph Meunier, a bailiff working at the Cholet salt attic, which could have led to an erroneous association between the building and its supposed function. The tower, classified as a historic monument in 1969, was recently restored before being sold to the municipality in 2021 for 50,000 €. It was originally to be left to the city after the death of its owner, who wished to make it a common good.

Cholet has known several salt attices over the centuries. Before the arrival of the Marquis de Broon, one of them was located rue du Petit-Conseil, allowing the Marquis to occupy the house temporarily during the reconstruction of its castle. At the end of the 18th century, another salt attic was located at the corner of Salbérie and Saint-Martin streets, near the site of the old castle. These movements reflect the urban and administrative evolution of the city, where salt, a strategic product, played a central economic role under the Old Regime.

Today, the salt Grenier Tower, located at 41 rue des Vieux-Greniers, remains a heritage symbol of Cholet. The adjoining house, rebuilt in the 19th century, should be transformed into an art gallery or artist's workshop after restoration. This project is part of a desire to develop local heritage, while preserving its historical character and social function, as evidenced by its inscription in the title of historical monuments.

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