Beauregard Tower

Beauregard Tower, locally known as Tour Beauregard, Grosse Tour du Roi (Great King's Tower) or Tour Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc Tower), lies in the city of Compiègne, in the Oise department in France.

This tower is a keep built between 1120 and 1130. It is the sole remnant of the royal Capetian castle that once stood here. Situated close to the banks of the Oise river, the castle helped to defend the ancient, now disappeared, bridge crossing the river.

Although it was abandoned at some point in time, the castle, with its prisons, remained the seat of the Auditorium of the royal court until well into the 15th century.

The name Tour Jeanne d'Arc was given to the keep in homage to the heroine who crossed the old bridge, before being captured on the other side of the river on May 23, 1430. Guillaume de Flavy, captain of the city, had witnessed the fatal skirmish from the top of this keep.

Later, after the castle had already gone, the keep also fell to ruin. During the French Revolution a petition vainly demanded the demolition of the ruin, which was seen as a "monument to the pride of kings".

A very nice and imposing keep in a pleasant city.

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