Doesn’t the name La Tour de la Fontaine d’Amour just drip with romance? For over two centuries this stone turret has watched over the Canrobert-Delarue district. This edifice is nestled among late 19th-century houses. It definitely grabs your attention.
La Tour de la Fontaine d’Amour owes its name to a romantic legend. It is a 14th-century Pontoise version of Romeo and Juliet. The fountain sits on the lands of the Seigneur de Nesles. He was a very influential man in the region.
Alix de Nesles and Béranger de Presle secretly met here. They were hidden from prying eyes. Alix was the daughter of the local lord. Béranger was a young squire. Their forbidden love blossomed near the Fontaine des Frênes. It later became the Fontaine d’Amour in memory of their romance.
Alix’s father discovered their secret. He dreamed of a more prosperous match for his daughter. So, he had the squire assassinated right here. Alix was inconsolable after this tragedy. She entered the orders and spent her days at Maubuisson Abbey. It was located in Saint-Ouen l’Aumône.
Abbé Trou noted the existence of a gravestone in 1863. It commemorated the two lovers buried near the fountain. This was mentioned in his “Historical and Archaeological Researches on the City of Pontoise”.
Between the late 17th and early 18th centuries the fountain became a well. It was sheltered by a six-meter-high tower. The tower’s summit had an iron railing. It served as a relay for Chappe’s optical telegraph.
Claude Chappe created a revolutionary communication system. It used visual messages on wooden panels. A watchman received and read the messages. He used a spyglass. Then, he transmitted them to another telegraph post. That post was also on top of a tower, kilometers away.
In 1800 Bonaparte reduced funding for this ingenious system. Claude Chappe couldn’t bear this rejection. Depressed, he threw himself into a well.
The Pontoise telegraph post was abandoned in the early 19th century. However, locals continued to visit La Tour de la Fontaine d’Amour. They drew water from its well until 1950.
The tower became part of the communal domain. It was restored in 1999. Its cut-stone masonry, crowning features, and cornices regained their original splendor. The fountain was illuminated.
Today the building is listed among the notable buildings of the town. La Tour de la Fontaine d’Amour stands as a testament to love. It also represents innovation and history.