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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Tour du Mont d'Or, located southeast of the former castle of Manosque (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), is a medieval vestige of a castrum mentioned in the Charter of Privileges of 1207 granted by Guillaume IV of Forcalquier. This fortified site once housed houses, agricultural lands, churches and mills, forming a space organized in height. The tower, 17 meters high, owes its Provençal name "Mont d'Aure" (de auro, "wind") to its exposure to dominant currents, symbolizing its role as a watchdog.

Inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 9 March 1927, the tower represents the last remains of the dungeon of the castrum. Archaeological excavations carried out around 1990 allowed the study of its history, although detailed results are not specified in the available sources. Today, owned by the municipality of Manosque, it bears witness to the defensive and social organization of medieval Provence, linked to local lords like the Counts of Forcalquier.

Architecturally, the tower illustrates medieval construction techniques in the Provencal region, adapted to topographic and climatic constraints. Its current state, though partial, offers an overview of the systems of monitoring and protection of castrums, typical of the 11th–13th centuries in south-eastern France. The sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum, Mérimée base) underline its heritage importance, without detailing its accessibility or contemporary uses.

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