Tower of the Six Fools

Erected in 1877 in the town of Benon, the Tour des Six Sots is 18 meters high and has a clock. This tower is part of the cultural heritage of Benon and Aunis and has an incredible history. Visible only from the outside.

The history of the Tour des Six Fools begins in 1828 when the steward of the Countess Zoé de Cayla, the owner of part of the forest of Benon, refuses the right of way allowing the villagers of Benon to go to neighboring villages.

After several attempts to reach an amicable agreement, the mayor files a complaint against the countess.
The proceedings lasted about fifty years. The countess, already old, dies and it is her daughter, Valentine de Beauveau Craon who takes up the torch and goes so far as to insult Master Desforges, lawyer and representative of the mayor and the villagers of Benon.

He sued the new countess for defamation. After several years, Valentine de Beauveau Craon was obliged to compensate Maître Desforges. The latter then proposes to use this sum to place a clock on the village church or to build a municipal fountain. The village priest, who receives large donations for the poor of Benon from the Countess, refuses to place a clock on the facade of the church.

It is the municipal council, which, by means of a vote, decides on the construction of the building. And it is with the weak majority of six votes, that a tower is erected in the middle of the village. We made sure that it could not be seen from either the church or the castle!
But the story does not end there: as the work progresses, we realize that the cost of the site is much higher than expected, and the town hall does not have the requested amount!
Since then, this tower bears the name of the Tower of the Six Fools, a slightly sardonic "tribute", to the six elected officials who voted for its construction.