The Architecture of Provence and the RivieraMacGibbon, David
History
The Architecture of Provence and the Riviera
MacGibbon, David
Architecture -- France -- Provence; Architecture -- France -- Riviera
du Chevalier, Grasse, and Antibes, but has some peculiar and remarkable
features of its own. The original masonry is of the usual rough-faced
kind, but it has been repaired in several places with work of a smoother
description. The top has evidently been modernised, and is covered with
a tile roof instead of the proper crenellated parapet. Windows of an
antique character are provided to light the apartments on the upper
floors, instead of mere square holes in the wall like those of the Tour
du Chevalier. Indeed, this keep seems to have been more of a habitation
than the others we have met with, and was apparently connected with an
ancient building of the same description of masonry, a few remains of
which are visible to the left in the sketch. But the most remarkable
features about this tower are the entrances and their defences. The
lowest doorway is on the first floor level.
[Illustration: FIG. 230. NORTH GATEWAY, ST PAUL-DU-VAR.]
It is semi-circular and is now built up. This doorway seems to have
given access only to a guardroom on the first floor, from which the
vaulted basement would be entered in the usual manner by an aperture in
the floor. At the level of the doorway there was evidently a wooden
platform projected outside of the door, from which a wooden overhanging
stair led up to the chief entrance to the principal apartments of the
keep on the floor above. The stone-work shews a projecting ledge at the
line of junction of the wooden stair with the wall. The corbels, which
supported a level platform above this stair, still remain, and it will
be observed that there is no corbel opposite the place where the stair
would pass through, as no floor would be required at that point.
[Illustration: FIG. 231. WEST END OF CHURCH, ST PAUL-DU-VAR.]
The two string courses on the next floor were no doubt inserted, one for
the purpose of carrying the struts of a sloping roof, and the other to
cover the junction of the roof with the stone-work. Although partly cut
away, these strings are yet fairly preserved. The sloping roof
[Illustration: FIG. 232. CHURCH OF ST PAUL-DU-VAR.]
would cover the wooden gallery or hoarding which, we have seen,
protected the principal doorways and staircase.
[Illustration: FIG. 233. PLAN OF CHURCH, ST PAUL-DU-VAR.]
The outer approaches to this keep were thus most carefully defended. An
assailant, who managed by scaling ladders to get up to the first floor
or guardroom level and overpower the guard, would find no access from
the interior to the upper floors. To reach these he would have to climb
a steep stair, enclosed within a wooden casing with trapdoor shut, and
would thus be exposed to attack with all kinds of missiles from the
platform above, where the defenders stood within the shelter of their
projecting hoarding or gallery.
[Illustration: FIG. 234. TOWER OR KEEP, ST PAUL-DU-VAR.]
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