Tour Jean Sans Peur

Even though I have lived in Paris many times, I continue to discover new places to visit. Paris never fails to disappoint. Last Wednesday I set out for the right bank to see the tower of Jean sans Peur, or John the Fearless. It is the tallest medieval tower visible in Paris. It is the last remaining vestige of the Hôtel de Bourgogne, the home of the Dukes of Burgundy.

Tour Jean Sans Peur

Tower on the Map of Paris

The mansion was built along both sides of the ancient wall that Philippe August built around Paris beginning in 1190.

Hôtel de Bourgogne about 1535

The tower is in green. It was built 1409-1411. The Philippe Auguste wall is in purple and incorporated in the mansion which is shown in yellow. Only the tower remains and next to the tower is a school, built on the foundations of the old hôtel. I could hear the kids out on the playground as I visited.

Remains of Philippe Auguste Wall

Jean sans Peur built the tower after he had his cousin, Louis d'Orleans, murdered in 1407. Louis was the brother of the king, Charles VI. King Charles suffered from madness and the two branches of the royal family, the Armagnacs (Louis d'Orleans) and the Burgundians (Jean sans Peur) fought over who would rule over the country. Just as it was looking like the Armagnacs were winning, Jean had Louis murdered on the street by his henchmen. Soon after the murder, he began building the tower and enlarging his mansion to celebrate his triumph and display his wealth and power.

Entrance to the Tower

Tower built on the Philippe August Wall

Jean San Peur

The tower served as the main stairway for the large hôtel, or mansion, and also as a safe place for Jean sans Peur to have his bed chamber. The most spectacular part of this tower was the ceiling partway up the staircase with carved stone vegetation.

The carvings were amazing. They were in the form of the intertwined branches of an oak tree interlaced with leaves of plants symbolic to Jean's family.

The oak tree is the emblem of his father, Philippe le Hardi (Philip the Bold), the hawthorn bush is the emblem of his mother and hops symbolize Jean sans Peur.

The ceiling was originally painted in different colors. It must have been magnificent!

From this magnificent ceiling I kept climbing up the narrow winding tower and came to one of the rooms that was used as a bed chamber or office.

Staircase winding up

Bed Chamber/Office 

On the far wall of the bedroom was a fireplace and through the door next to it was the latrine. The latrine was very sophisticated for that time--constructed on the other side of the fireplace wall so it stayed warm. It had conduits in the wall for evacuation and ventilation.

Wash Basin

Latrine

There was another bed chamber/office with a latrine above that and then one final room on the top where you could still see the original roof timbers and some of the original floor tiles. This room was probably used by the watchman and was simpler than the rooms below.

From 1409-1413, Jean sans Peur conducted his fight against the Armagnacs from his fortified tower and residence. He had his own unofficial militia--members of the butcher's guild--but he became so unpopular he had to flee Paris in 1413. He returned in 1418 but was murdered by his opponents in 1419. So I guess what goes around comes around.

Original Roof Beams

Original Floor Tiles

Jean Sans Peur's son, Philippe le Bon (Philip the Good), inherited the residence and the title Duke of Burgundy but he spent little time there. It was during this time that Burgundy reached its height, conquering the Netherlands and purchasing the Duchy of Luxembourg. Philip le Bon's soldiers captured Joan of Arc and turned her over to the English, his allies at the time.

Tour Jean Sans Peur

The mansion was used for many purposes over the years--a theater, leather market, lodging house, hardware salesroom, lock factory. At the time of Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann, the neighborhood was dramatically altered and in 1868 when a street was cut through, the remaining buildings except the tower were torn down. The school was built on the hôtel's foundations in 1878. The tower was then purchased by the City of Paris in 1874 and declared a historic monument. But it wasn't until the 1990s that it was restored to its original medieval appearance and the tower opened for visitors in 1999. It is a little medieval gem in the middle of Paris.