Noble Tour

Built during the 100 Years' War by Philippe le Hardi, 1st Duke of Burgundy, to protect himself from the French armies, the Noble Tour was the tallest of the 65 towers of the city wall. Crowned with an hourd (wooden machicolation), it was used to defend the district and the Saint-Sauveur Hospital. In 1667, the tower was partially damaged during the siege of Lille. In 1672, Vauban restored it to its rightful place in his new defensive scheme for the city. He decided to cover it with a horned structure. In 1803, it was used as a gunpowder storehouse. After the war, the Noble Tour became a memorial to the Resistance and Deportation, inaugurated by General de Gaulle in 1959. It contains ashes from the death camps in a stone urn, and bears a sculpture by André Bizette-Lindet in memory of the victims. It has been a listed monument since March 1922.