Tour des Esprits, or Tour des Barbiers, in Metz

Spirits, Barbers, Chandlers: a tower of many names

In its booklet on the medieval walls, the City of Metz gives this tower a fuller name than the one in everyday use: tower of the Barbers and the Wax Chandlers. The name therefore brings two trades together. Chandlers made and sold objects in wax, such as candles, writing tablets and seals. Wikipedia also records the name Witches' Tower. As for “Tour des Esprits”, the name used today even on street maps, the sources consulted do not explain where it comes from, so it is wise to be wary of any overly confident stories you may hear on site.

When the guilds guarded the towers

In Metz, defending the rampart depended partly on working people. The City's booklet explains that each guild maintained and guarded the tower bearing its name, hence the long series of trade towers you come across in this area. It was a heavy burden: members had to buy their own equipment in time of war, and while they stood guard or fought, their workshops earned nothing. Other works, such as the Towers of the Cité, were the responsibility of the city itself. According to Wikipedia, the towers also served as lodgings and food stores, in preparation for a siege of about six months.

A sentinel above the Seille

The tower protected the Pont des Grilles de la Basse-Seille, a sensitive spot since the river passed through the walls here. Beneath the arch, grilles worked by a weighted mechanism regulated the flow, to limit flooding, and barred the way to any enemy arriving by water. The setting has changed since then: where the Seille ran in the Middle Ages, walkers now tread on dry ground. On the bridge, look closely at the stones, which still bear the masons' marks. The 1932 listing brings together the tower, the adjoining stretch of rampart and these “basses grilles”, all registered on the same date.

A tower that reveals its vaults, and has no stairs

Damaged in 1944, the tower came to reveal Gothic ribbed vaults, according to Wikipedia. It is one of the few towers of the city wall whose interior can be seen, the City notes, and several details deserve a pause: the gunports, the keystone, the dressed stone. Ground levels rose over time, so the present ground floor matches the medieval first floor. There never was a staircase: people moved between levels by ladders and trapdoors. The booklet places it on the Chemin des Corporations, a route of about an hour starting from the Porte des Allemands.

Frequently asked questions