La Tour du calvaire
The tower was built in 19th century on castle ruins of the 11th century who overhang the city. With a height of 19 metres, you got a nice view on all the village.
The current building was erected in 1852, after a long-standing request from local residents for a clock and stamp.
It replaced the collapsed keep of the former feudal castle of the lords of Grolée-Viriville. By the 18th century, the old seigneurial residence had become uninhabitable due to lack of maintenance and the permanent absence of the lord of the day. During the devastation of July 27, 1789, there was no mention of looting of the medieval château, which had long since been ruined.
In 1853, the town council approved the application of an extraordinary tax to finance the purchase of the clock and stamp. The mechanism was installed on top of the new building in 1855.
In 1889, the municipality had to undertake major restoration work on the upper part of the tower, which, after more than thirty years of exposure to the elements, was in a very poor state for lack of a roof:
amputation of a metre of its height
increase the number of brackets supporting the campanile
installation of a lightning rod at the top
repair of the clock mechanism
recasting of the cracked bell-shaped gong weighing around 400 kg (the original gong weighed 40 kg).
Practical information
Theme
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Historic patrimony,
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Tower
Time schedule
From 01/01/26 to 12/31/26
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Monday :
Open
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Tuesday :
Open
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Wednesday :
Open
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Thursday :
Open
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Friday :
Open
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Saturday :
Open
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Sunday :
Open
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Jours fériés :
Closed
Free access all year round.
Prices
Free access.
Information updated on 23/03/2026
by Office de Tourisme Terres de Berlioz
