Construction of the tower XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Built to defend monastic attices.
2 mars 1979
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 2 mars 1979 (≈ 1979)
Protection of facades and interior elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Facades and roofs; vaulted room with fireplace on the ground floor; chimneys in each of the four-storey rooms (Box BN 79): inscription by order of 2 March 1979
Key figures
Henri Pradel - Chanoine and former school principal
Owner who bought the tower.
Moines de la Domerie d'Aubrac - Initial sponsors
Builders to defend their property.
Origin and history
The Bonnefon Tower is a 15th-century military building located in Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, Aveyron department. It was erected by the monks of the Domerie d'Aubrac to protect their land and attics, frequently looted by robbers. The building, with a defensive system (murder, glacis), includes a ground floor, four floors and an attic, connected by a helical staircase.
In 1979, the tower was listed as historic monuments for its facades, roofs, and remarkable interior elements such as the vaulted hall on the ground floor and its chimneys. It was acquired in the 20th century by Henri Pradel, canon and former director of a school, who wanted to make it an educational place for his students.
The tower illustrates late medieval defensive architecture in Rouergue, linked to the agricultural and religious activity of the Domerie d'Aubrac. Its architectural features (murder, helical staircase) reflect its initial role of protection against looting, in a rural context marked by the insecurity and importance of monastic barns.
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