Construction of the Camoufle Tower XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
Medieval tower integrated with the ramparts.
1929
Registration of ramparts and Tour Camoufle
Registration of ramparts and Tour Camoufle 1929 (≈ 1929)
Official protection of northern remains.
14 avril 1932
Registration Bass grids and Tower of Spirits
Registration Bass grids and Tower of Spirits 14 avril 1932 (≈ 1932)
Joint classification of two elements.
3 décembre 1966
Classification of the German Gate
Classification of the German Gate 3 décembre 1966 (≈ 1966)
Major heritage recognition.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The old ramparts (rests) to the north and north-east of the Arsenal: inscription by order of 12 October 1929 - The Camoufle Tower: inscription by order of 31 October 1929 - The Tower of Spirits; the part of the ramparts between the two previous works; the so-called low grids of the Seille: inscription by decree of 14 April 1932 - The German Gate (cad. 20 5, 6, 7, 9): classification by decree of 3 December 1966 - The old prison gate transferred from Lasalle Street on the inside of the medieval rampart in 1980 (ca. 28 200/118): inscription by order of 27 October 1971
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any specific historical actors related to this monument.
Origin and history
The remains of the medieval Metz compound, located in the Greater East region, represent a defensive complex built mainly in the 13th and 16th centuries. These fortifications, now partially preserved, include emblematic elements such as the Basses grates de la Seille (or bridge of the grates de la Basse-Seille), a fortified bridge located on Boulevard Paixhans, in the Old Town district. This bridge, although built at the end of the 19th century and filled in 1911, became part of the medieval defensive system and was inscribed in historical monuments in 1932, together with the Tower of Spirits.
Other remarkable elements of the building include the Camoufle Tower (XIIIth century), the old walls north and northeast of the Arsenal (registered in 1929), and the German Gate, classified in 1966. These remains illustrate the evolution of fortification techniques in Metz, a strategic city on the border of the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France. Their preservation also reflects the importance attached to medieval military heritage in the region.
Walls and towers, such as the Tower of Spirits or so-called "low grids", were key components of the urban defence system. Their progressive inscription in historic monuments (between 1929 and 1971) underscores their heritage value. Today, these vestiges, owned by the commune, offer a material testimony of the medieval and modern history of Metz, between military protection and urban development.
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