TOUR DE DEFENSE

Listed as a historic monument, this key part of the town's old defensive system welcomes visitors at the entrance to the town. An emblematic feature of the town, it now houses a number of exhibitions in a friendly, fun environment. Located in the Notre-Dame district, the Tour de Défense is the town's oldest monument, along with the mill.

Built in the 12th century to block access to the city, it was also used as a mill. It has a remarkable roof structure on the ground and ground floors. The city walls rested on the sides of this imposing 2-storey brick tower.

In 1830, the upper storeys of the buildings on either side of the Tower were built, partly concealing it. The fortress is built in the Visigothic style, with a short rectangle at its base, extended by a semi-circle on one side. It rises 30 m above the water. Clad in flat tiles, the tower has three levels. On the outside, loopholes and windows with geminated and third-pointed openings bear witness to its original military function.

The Brusson brothers set up their first pasta factory here in 1872. In 1889, a pump installed at the foot of the tower pumped water from the Tarn, after being filtered through gravel. Villemur was one of the very first towns in the region to be equipped with a water supply system.