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Origin and history

The tower of the Roy, located in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot (Lot-et-Garonne), is a 13th or early 14th century vestige, probably a strong house built by a local lord near the ramparts. Although sometimes attributed to Richard-Coeur-de-Lion, historians favor the hypothesis of a late construction to strengthen the city's defence, in connection with the Baron of Madaillan, co-Lord with the king.

At the Revolution, the tower became communal property and was transformed into a prison. Its brick architecture, typical of the region, includes a blind ground floor, floors served by interior and exterior staircases, and a hollow tile cover. It illustrates the adaptation of urban fortifications to local defensive needs.

Ranked a historical monument in 1925, the Roy Tower is the only vestige of the former fortifications of Sainte-Livre. Its exterior brick staircase and foothills strengthening the structure up to mid-height testify to medieval construction techniques. After the Revolution, it lost its military function for civilian use, reflecting the political and social changes of the time.

The sources mention its successive attachment to the families of Madaillan and then Fossat of Aiguillon, emphasizing its role in local seigneurial dynamics. Today owned by the commune, it embodies an architectural heritage linked to the feudal and revolutionary history of the region.

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