Joan of Arc Tower, Rouen: history and visit

The Tour Jeanne d'Arc, in Rouen

The Tour Jeanne d'Arc is the surviving keep of the former castle of Rouen, linked to the trial of the heroine. The Rouen audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this medieval vestige, where Joan of Arc was threatened during her captivity.

The keep of the castle and the trial of Joan

The Tour Jeanne d'Arc is the imposing circular keep that survives from the former castle of Rouen, built in the thirteenth century by King Philip Augustus. It is the only important vestige of this great royal fortress, today disappeared. The tower is closely linked to the tragic destiny of Joan of Arc: during her trial, in 1431, the heroine was led to a tower of the castle, where she was threatened with torture to compel her to confess. Although the tower that bears her name today is not exactly the one of her detention, it remains the witness of this dark era and of the ordeal she went through in Rouen, before her ordeal. Inside, you discover the medieval defensive architecture and elements evoking the history of the castle and the trial of Joan. A witness of the history of France and the memory of the heroine, the Tour Jeanne d'Arc is discovered with respect.

What to see

You admire, with respect, the imposing thirteenth-century circular keep, the only important vestige of the royal castle of Philip Augustus, linked to the trial of Joan of Arc who, in 1431, was threatened with torture in a tower of the castle, with its medieval defensive architecture and the elements evoking its history. The Tour Jeanne d'Arc is a place of memory of Rouen. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Tour Jeanne d'Arc lies in the heart of Rouen, reachable on foot. The visit follows its own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

What link does the Tour Jeanne d'Arc have with the heroine in Rouen?

It is the surviving keep of the former royal castle of Rouen where, during her trial in 1431, Joan of Arc was threatened with torture to compel her to confess; the tower is a witness of this dark era and of the ordeal she went through before her ordeal.