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Origin and history

The leaning tower of Soyons is a medieval vestige located in the municipality of Soyons, in the department of Ardèche, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century, it is part of the fortifications built to protect the Abbey of Soyons and the village. Its strategic location, on the Malpas plateau at 218 meters above sea level, allows it to dominate the banks of the Rhône and the valentine agglomeration. This quadrangular tower, on three levels, is the only remaining element after the destruction of the ramparts in 1629.

The Malpas site has been occupied since the protohistoric period (c. 7th century BC) by the Gaulish people of the Segovellauni, who established an oppidum several times destroyed and rebuilt. After a period of abandonment, the plateau was reinvested in the Middle Ages and fortified at the end of the 12th century. The tower, attributed to a construction of 1245 by the bishop of Valencia, played a defensive role until the wars of Religion. In 1627-1629, the Protestants made it a key position, but after their defeat against the royal troops led by Henry II of Montmorency, the fortifications were razed, saving only this tower.

The steep inclination of the tower resulted from the unfinished demolitions of 1629, which weakened its base. Recent consolidation works, visible by their lighter stone, have stabilized its structure. Ranked a historical monument in 1927, it now symbolizes the turbulent history of Soyons, between religious conflicts and medieval heritage. Its sober architecture and state of conservation make it a rare testimony to the ardèche fortifications.

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