Lantern Tower (La Rochelle)

Lantern Tower
Native names
Priest tower
Tour de la Lanterne
LocationLa Rochelle, France
Nearest cityLa Rochelle
Coordinates46°09′21″N 01°09′25″W / 46.15583°N 1.15694°W / 46.15583; -1.15694
Height180 feet (55 m)
Founded1209
Original useProtection of the entrance to the primitive port of La Rochelle
Restored2015
Architectural style(s)Medieval
Governing bodyBuilding managed by the CMN (Center des Monuments Nationaux)
OwnerGovernment
Websitela-rochelle.monuments-nationaux.fr

The Lantern Tower (French: tour de la Lanterne) is one of the three medieval historic towers in La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes, France, which guarded the port at Aunis. The Lantern tower served as a Lighthouse and a prison throughout its history. It was also known by other names: Garrot tower, Priest tower, and Four Sergeant tower. In 1789 the French government declared it a Monument historique