Tour Saint-Antoine

Tour Saint-Antoine is a sixteenth-century tower rising above Loches, a historic town in the Indre-et-Loire department at the heart of the Loire Valley. While Loches is best known for its formidable royal fortress and castle overlooking the old town, this slender tower has stood as one of the settlement's defining landmarks for nearly five hundred years, once serving the town as its official clock and signal post.

When was the tower built?

Construction began in 1529 and continued, most likely, into the third quarter of the sixteenth century. The tower was not originally freestanding: it served as the bell tower of an adjoining chapel that has since vanished from the townscape. Its presence at that time is confirmed by a bird's-eye view of Loches drawn in 1575, in which the tower already appears as a fixture of the skyline.

What role did it play in the town's history?

After the French Revolution, the chapel it once belonged to disappeared, and the tower itself passed into municipal ownership as national property. From that point it took on the role of a town belfry, a beffroi, used to mark important civic occasions and fulfilling the kind of signalling and timekeeping functions typical of such towers in French towns. In 1840 it was added to the list of protected historic monuments. Later, in 1890, the upper section of the tower, by then in poor structural condition, underwent a thorough restoration.

What does the tower look like?

The tower rises on a square, quadrangular plan to a height of 52 metres. Each of its four corners is reinforced by an angled buttress, giving the lower part of the structure a solid, grounded appearance. The lowest levels are almost entirely blind, without window openings, while the second-highest storey is enlivened by pairs of twin arches set into each face. The topmost level switches to an octagonal plan and is capped by a dome fitted with four dormer windows, itself finished off with a slender lantern. The two uppermost storeys carry carved stone balustrades decorated with monograms and heraldic emblems, among them the coat of arms of Honorat II of Savoy, who governed Loches until his death in 1580. This crowning arrangement recalls the towers of Tours Cathedral (Saint-Gatien), completed in 1547, not far away. Today, Tour Saint-Antoine is considered the only belfry of its kind still standing in the historic province of Touraine, giving it a distinctive status within the wider region.

Can visitors go inside?

Access to the interior is limited: the tower opens to the public only two days a year, during the September European Heritage Days weekend. On those dates, guided visits take small groups up to the top, where a panoramic terrace offers sweeping views over the river valley and the royal quarter of Loches, castle and fortress included. For the rest of the year, the tower can only be admired from the streets of the old town below.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Tour Saint-Antoine located?

The tower stands in the centre of Loches, a town in the Indre-et-Loire department of the Loire Valley region in France.

How old is Tour Saint-Antoine?

Construction began in 1529 and was likely completed in the third quarter of the sixteenth century, making the tower nearly five centuries old.

Can visitors climb to the top?

Yes, but only on two days each year, during the September European Heritage Days, when guided tours to the summit are organised.

What was the tower originally used for?

It originally served as the bell tower of a neighbouring chapel, which no longer survives.

Why is this tower significant regionally?

It is the only belfry (beffroi) still standing in the historic province of Touraine, making it a unique surviving example of this type of civic monument.