Vestiges of feudal times, the Papou Tower has always been the playground of young Villemurians dreaming of becoming a knight and having a fortified castle.
Its name is a mystery, passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. It can be translated from Occitan as “The Pope’s Tower”, meaning that it was built with the Pope’s money, from which the lords of Villemur benefited greatly. A unique vestige of the city’s defensive system, destroyed in 1631 on the orders of King Louis XIII, the Tour Papou was part of the fortifications of the fortified castle erected on the site of the present-day Square de la voie.
Six centuries later, the tower is still standing, or at least what remains of it. You can discover it by following the self-guided tour offered by the Tourist Office, or on an organised guided tour.
