Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The tower of Saudon finds its origins in the Gallo-Roman enclosure of Cavillonum (now Chalon-sur-Saône), erected in the fourth century as a fortified watch tower. This monument, integrated with the defenses of the ancient city, symbolized surveillance and protection against invasions during this troubled period of the late Roman Empire. Its strategic role continued well beyond antiquity, as evidenced by its subsequent transformations.

In the middle of the 10th century, the Sieur Saudon, a local lord whose name remains attached to the building, built the tower into a house fort-refuge, adapting the Gallo-Roman structure to the defensive needs of the early Middle Ages. This type of reuse illustrates the current practice of recycling ancient constructions in response to threats of invasions or feudal conflicts. The tower thus became a place of retreat for the surrounding populations.

In the 17th century, the tower changed its vocation radically when the Oratorian Order, a community of secular priests, acquired it. They raised it from an octagonal wooden bell, covered with slates, turning it into a bell tower for their church. This architectural change marks its integration into the religious landscape of the city, while maintaining its medieval stone structure, divided into three floors with wooden floors.

The French Revolution marked a new turning point: declared a national property in 1789, the tower was assigned to the gendarmerie in 1796, then ceded to the City of Chalon-sur-Saône in 1887. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments on 27 September 1948 consecrated its heritage value, mixing Gallo-Roman, medieval and classical heritage. Today, it bears witness to nearly 17 centuries of history, from ancient defenses to religious and civil uses.

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