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Solidor Tower today

France · Still standing

Solidor Tower

Tour Solidor

Solidor Tower is a late 14th-century strengthened keep composed of three linked towers set at the mouth of the Rance estuary in Brittany. Built 1369–1382 by John IV, Duke of Brittany, it later served as a jail and in modern times housed a museum until 2022. The tower stands at the former town of Saint-Servan, now part of Saint-Malo.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1382

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1382

What Solidor Tower looked like in its prime.

A compact, triangular composition of three linked cylindrical stone towers rising directly from a low rocky islet at the estuary edge; thick, roughly dressed grey-brown masonry with a continuous corbelled band and machicolations beneath the parapet; the tallest tower capped by a steep slate roof; the structure linked to the quayside by a short stone arched causeway; tidal harbour and mudflats around the base, no later accretions visible in the prime state.

Its story

The story of Solidor Tower.

Solidor Tower, a strengthened keep of three linked towers, was built between 1369 and 1382 by John IV, Duke of Brittany, to control access to the Rance estuary at a time when the city of Saint-Malo did not recognise his authority. It stands in the former town of Saint-Servan, merged into Saint-Malo in 1967.

Over the centuries the tower lost its military interest and became a jail. More recently it housed a museum celebrating the Breton sailors who rounded Cape Horn, permanently closed in 2022; the tower also had a turn on screen in the 1957 film True as a Turtle.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1382.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Solidor Tower, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Quayside approach and causewaySeaward vista from the estuaryArched bridge and walkwayQuay at the tower's baseParapet and machicolated crownAerial plan of the three linked towers

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Recreate Solidor Tower with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1382, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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From the archive

Solidor Tower on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Solidor Tower from "A Ramble round France. [With illustrations.]"., Solidor Tower

Solidor Tower from "A Ramble round France. [With illustrations.]".

· The British Library (via Europeana)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Solidor Tower.

Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, FranceMonasteryMont-Saint-Michel Abbey38 km away

Questions about Solidor Tower

What is the history of Solidor Tower?

Solidor Tower was built in the 14th century to control access to the Rance estuary when Saint-Malo did not recognise John IV, Duke of Brittany’s authority. In 1588, the people of Saint-Malo seized it for the Duke of Mercœur. It later became a prison, then housed a museum about Breton sailors who rounded Cape Horn until 2022.

What is inside Solidor Tower?

Inside Solidor Tower are spaces associated with its former prison use, including interior doors that closed the cells and still bear readable graffiti. From 1970 to 2019, it housed a museum of Cape Horn sailors, with collections including charts, models and navigational instruments; the museum closed permanently in 2022.

Why was Solidor Tower built, and what was it used for?

Solidor Tower was built to control navigation and access through the Rance estuary. Its position also allowed taxes to be collected on goods carried by boat. After its military purpose became obsolete, it was used as a prison during the Revolution and Empire, and later as a museum about Cape Horn sailors.

Where is Solidor Tower?

Solidor Tower is in Saint-Servan, the former town now within Saint-Malo, at the mouth of the Rance estuary in Brittany. It stands on a rocky advance at the estuary’s outlet, in the Saint-Servan district of Saint-Malo.

When was Solidor Tower built?

Solidor Tower was built between 1369 and 1382, placing its construction in the late 14th century. The first-raised year is not recorded, but the tower was complete by 1382.

What did Solidor Tower look like in its prime?

In its prime, Solidor Tower was a compact triangular group of three linked cylindrical stone towers rising from a low rocky islet. Its grey-brown masonry had a continuous corbelled band and machicolations below the parapet, while the tallest tower carried a steep slate roof. A short arched stone causeway linked it to the quayside.

Is Solidor Tower still standing or is it a ruin?

Solidor Tower is still standing and intact rather than a ruin. It was restored after the Ministry of the Navy transferred it to the Monuments Historiques administration in 1886, and architect Albert Ballu gave it its present large roof.

Who built Solidor Tower?

John IV, Duke of Brittany, commissioned and built Solidor Tower between 1369 and 1382. No architect is identified in the supplied material, although Albert Ballu later restored the tower and added its large roof in 1886.

Can you visit Solidor Tower?

Solidor Tower is closed to the public because its museum permanently closed in 2022. It previously housed a museum celebrating Breton sailors who explored or rounded Cape Horn, but no current public access is stated.

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