Saint-Barthélemy bell tower

The Saint-Barthélemy bell tower, in La Rochelle

The Saint-Barthélemy bell tower is a curious solitary bell tower standing in the middle of the dwellings of La Rochelle, the only vestige of a medieval church destroyed during the wars of religion. The La Rochelle audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this last witness of the Church of Saint-Barthélemy, that today serves as a bell tower to the neighbouring cathedral.

The last vestige of the disappeared church

Yes, it is indeed a bell tower that you see there, standing in the middle of the dwellings, like a silhouette of stone come from another time. The Saint-Barthélemy bell tower formerly was part of the church of the same name, that was on the present location of the Cathedral of Saint-Louis. This church, built in the Middle Ages then remodelled over the centuries, was one of the most important of the town. But it was destroyed in 1568, during the wars of religion that bloodied the town, then become one of the great bastions of French Protestantism: in the fury of these confrontations between Catholics and Protestants, numerous religious buildings were ransacked or razed. Only the bell tower of Saint-Barthélemy resisted the demolition of the church, perhaps because the high towers could serve as watchtowers and defence, precious to watch the town. It is thus that it subsists today, isolated, a solitary witness of a disappeared sanctuary. Far from having become useless, it continues to play its role of bell tower for the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, that is just behind it: its bells still give the rhythm to the religious life of the district. With its singular appearance and its painful history, this bell tower recalls, with gravity, the tearing apart that marked the history of La Rochelle. A solitary bell tower and a memory of the wars of religion, the Saint-Barthélemy bell tower is discovered with respect.

What to see

Here you discover, with respect, a curious solitary bell tower standing in the middle of the dwellings, the only vestige of the Church of Saint-Barthélemy, that was on the location of the present cathedral and was destroyed in 1568 during the wars of religion; spared perhaps for its use as a watchtower, it still today serves as a bell tower to the neighbouring Cathedral of Saint-Louis. The Saint-Barthélemy bell tower is a place of memory of La Rochelle. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Saint-Barthélemy bell tower lies near the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, in the heart of La Rochelle, reachable on foot. It is a monument that you admire from the outside, standing in the middle of the dwellings; it serves as a bell tower to the neighbouring cathedral. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Why is the Saint-Barthélemy bell tower of La Rochelle isolated?

Because the Church of Saint-Barthélemy, to which it belonged, was destroyed in 1568 during the wars of religion, on the site of the present cathedral; only the bell tower was spared, perhaps to serve as a watchtower, and it subsists today isolated in the middle of the dwellings, continuing to play its role of bell tower for the neighbouring Cathedral of Saint-Louis.

Where is the Saint-Barthélemy bell tower in La Rochelle?

Near the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, in the heart of La Rochelle, in France.