Bolandre Tower

Bolandre Tower, locally known as Tour du Château de Bolandre, lies in a field on the south side of the village of Bantheville, in the Meuse department in France.

The fragmentation of feudal powers and the birth of villages in this area, during the 13th century, sparked the building of a lot of seigneurial residences. Bolandre Castle was probably built in the 13th or 14th century as a fortified residence of a rural nobleman. In the 14th century the fief, owned by the Bolandre family, was first mentioned.

Bolandre Castle was damaged during the 30 Years' War in the 17th century but restored later that century.

During the French Revolution the castle was probably owned by the clergy and therefore confiscated as Bien Nationaux. In 1794 it was sold. It was then described as a rectangular fortified mansion with two round towers on the corners of one of the long facades and another in the middle of the opposite facade. Much like Villette Castle.

In 1869 the castle became a quarry. This quarry apparently worked very efficiently as it almost made the castle completely disappear, only leaving the present tower.

Bolandre Tower stands on private farmland, so it can not be visited. A nice lonely tower.

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