The Drugstore Tower

The Droguerie Tower, in Saint-Étienne

The Droguerie Tower is one of the oldest medieval vestiges of Saint-Étienne. The Saint-Étienne audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this round tower, the only survivor of the ramparts that once surrounded the city.

The only survivor of the ramparts

On approaching this pretty round tower, it is hard to imagine that it is one of the oldest medieval vestiges of Saint-Étienne. The Droguerie Tower is the only survivor of the ramparts that surrounded the city in the fourteenth century. Integrated over time into the urban fabric, it housed a drugstore that gave it its name. A discreet witness of the medieval past of a city above all known for its industrial history, it recalls the distant origins of Saint-Étienne.

What to see

You admire the medieval round tower, the only survivor of the former ramparts of Saint-Étienne, which long housed a drugstore. The Droguerie Tower recalls the distant origins of the city. It is a stop for those curious about history, to be explored on foot near Place du Peuple.

Practical information

The Droguerie Tower lies near Place du Peuple, in the heart of Saint-Étienne, reachable on foot. You mainly admire its exterior from the street; access inside depends on its current uses. You discover it during a walk in the historic centre.

What is the Droguerie Tower?

The only surviving tower of the medieval ramparts of Saint-Étienne, dating from the fourteenth century, which long housed a drugstore that gave it its name.

Where is the Droguerie Tower?

Near Place du Peuple, in the heart of Saint-Étienne, in the Loire.