Souvenir Medal Monnaie de Paris 2008 - Tours de la Rochelle (17)

The towers of La Rochelle have played a vital role in the history of this port city. They were erected as early as the 14th century to facilitate the development of maritime trade. Additionally, two of the three towers, the Saint-Nicolas Tower and the Chain Tower, also served as prisons for Huguenots and foreign sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries, and were converted into military prisons in the 19th century. In parallel, the Lantern Tower had the mission of disarming ships upstream of the port and serving as a lighthouse. These towers symbolize the rich maritime, defensive, and commercial history of La Rochelle throughout the ages.