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Origin and history

The Malakoff Tower is a crenellated octagonal structure erected in 1858 on a height overlooking the village of Sermizelles. Initiated by Abbé Plagnard, the local parish priest, she was built to honour the Virgin Mary, in thanks for her protection to the children of the commune engaged in the Crimean war, especially during the capture of the Malakoff tower and the siege of Sevastopol in 1854. The building, designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Mathieu de Clamecy, is 8.50 metres high and is built of Domecy and Coutarnoux stone, with an oratory integrated in its lower part.

The tower is surmounted by a statue of the Virgin Mary, carved in the stone of Cravant, measuring 2.50 meters high. As soon as it was built, it became a place of pilgrimage accessible by a lace path from the village. After a period of abandonment, the processions resumed in 1949, after World War II. The tower, owned by the commune, was listed as historical monuments by order of 18 April 2012.

His name pays tribute to the Malakoff Tower of Sevastopol, symbol of the French victory in Crimea. The building thus illustrates both a local religious devotion and a tribute to the soldiers of the region. Today, it remains a historical and spiritual landmark for Sermizelles and its surroundings.

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