Tour de Nesle

The Tour de Nesle was one of the four large guard towers on the old city wall of Paris, constructed at the beginning of the 13th century by Philip II of France and demolished in 1665. The tower was situated on the left (south) bank of the Seine facing the old castle of the Louvre on the opposite bank. Originally known as the Tour Hamelin, it was a cylindrical structure of approximately 10 metres in diameter. The height was around 25 metres, with a stair turret reaching higher still. Later, the tower was incorporated into the Hôtel de Nesle, a medieval mansion. On the right bank of the Seine river was a similar tall tower: the Tour du Coin (corner tower). The towers protected the upstream approach to the Île de la Cité. In 1308, Philip IV bought the tower from Amaury de Nesle.