The striking stone tower on the right is the Tour Charlemagne (Tower of Charlemagne), a rare surviving remnant of the original medieval Basilica of Saint Martin. Legend links it to Emperor Charlemagne: his wife Liutgard (or sometimes referred to as Hildegard) died in Tours around 800 AD while accompanying him, and tradition holds she was buried near or beneath this tower.
Though the grand Romanesque basilica was largely destroyed during the French Revolution, this 48-metre-high tower endured and was later restored. Today it stands in powerful contrast beside the 19th/20th-century neo-Byzantine basilica (with its prominent dome) rebuilt over the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours, one of France’s most important pilgrimage sites.
A small quiet street in Tours with a big sense of history.
