When was the Ursulines Tower built?

This keep was built in the 12th century, on earlier Gallo-Roman foundations.

Why is it named after the Ursulines?

In 1647, the land around the tower was granted to the Ursuline nuns, who had arrived in Autun in 1617 and kept it until the Revolution.

What remains of Autun's former castle?

This tower is the main standing remnant of the castle dismantled at the end of the 16th century at the request of the town's inhabitants.

Can visitors go inside the tower?

No information on opening hours or visiting conditions is available; the monument is now privately owned and houses a cultural centre.

Tour dite des Ursulines

Autun

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Where: Autun

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This week in the agenda

Presentation of the theater and guided tour of the castleSun, Sep 20 · château de Sully15 km

Tour dite des Ursulines stands in Autun (Saône-et-Loire), in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. The building is listed as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 12th century). Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

In Autun, the Ursulines Tower stands over the town at the top of the Rivault district. This octagonal 12th-century keep, the only standing remnant of the former castle dismantled at the end of the 16th century, carries at its summit a three-metre statue of the Virgin Mary, added in the 19th century. Now privately owned and run as a cultural centre, it recalls a past as a ducal and later royal stronghold, before becoming an Ursuline convent in the 17th century.

Written from Tour des Ursulines

What to know

The tower is a listed monument in private ownership, run as an international cultural centre.
The building's foundations rest on a partially preserved Gallo-Roman wall.
The octagonal plan and the round-arched Romanesque-style windows are the most visible architectural features.
The Virgin Mary statue and the terrace parapet both date from the 19th century.
No information on opening hours, admission fees or accessibility is available for this site.

Where this château is

Autun · Saône-et-Loire · Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

5 Bd Mac Mahon, 71400 Autun

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Heritage status: Listed historic monument (classé); Mérimée record PA00113104
Period of construction: 12th century

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Frequently asked

When was the Ursulines Tower built?: This keep was built in the 12th century, on earlier Gallo-Roman foundations.
Why is it named after the Ursulines?: In 1647, the land around the tower was granted to the Ursuline nuns, who had arrived in Autun in 1617 and kept it until the Revolution.
What remains of Autun's former castle?: This tower is the main standing remnant of the castle dismantled at the end of the 16th century at the request of the town's inhabitants.
Can visitors go inside the tower?: No information on opening hours or visiting conditions is available; the monument is now privately owned and houses a cultural centre.