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Tour de Nesle affair

1310s in France1314 in EuropeHouse of CapetPhilip IV of FranceRoyal scandals
Scandals in FranceSex scandals
Philip iv and family
Philip iv and family

The Tour de Nesle affair was a scandal amongst the French royal family in 1314, during which Margaret, Blanche, and Joan, the daughters-in-law of King Philip IV, were accused of adultery. The accusations were apparently started by Philip's daughter, Isabella. The Tour de Nesle was a tower in Paris where much of the adultery was said to have occurred. The scandal led to torture, executions and imprisonments for the princesses' lovers and the imprisonment of the princesses, with lasting consequences for the final years of the House of Capet.

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Tour de Nesle affair
Place de l'Institut, Paris 6th Arrondissement (Paris)

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N 48.8575 ° E 2.3372222222222 °
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Place de l'Institut
75006 Paris, 6th Arrondissement (Paris)
Ile-de-France, France
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Philip iv and family
Philip iv and family
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Tour de Nesle
Tour de Nesle

The Tour de Nesle or Nesle's Tower was one of the four large guard towers on the old city wall of Paris, constructed at the beginning of the 13th century by Philip II of France and demolished in 1665. The tower was situated on the left (south) bank of the Seine facing the old castle of the Louvre on the opposite bank. Originally known as the Tour Hamelin, it was a cylindrical structure of approximately 10 metres in diameter. The height was around 25 metres, with a stair turret reaching higher still. Later, the tower was incorporated into the Hôtel de Nesle, a medieval mansion. On the right bank of the Seine river, was a similar tall tower : the Tour du Coin (=Corner tower). The towers protected the upstream approach into the city towards the Île de la Cité. In 1308, Philip IV bought the tower from Amaury de Nesle. In 1314, there occurred a scandal known as the Tour de Nesle affair (fr:Affaire de la tour de Nesle), during which the daughters-in-law of Philip IV, were accused of adultery. Much of the adultery was said to have occurred in the Tour de Nesle. The scandal led to torture, executions and imprisonments for the princesses' lovers and the imprisonment of the princesses, with lasting consequences for the final years of the House of Capet. In 1319, Philip V donated the building to his Queen Jeanne de Bourgogne (the one accused who was found innocent) and she, in her will, left it for the College of Burgundy, which she founded for the University of Paris. Demolished in 1665, mansion and tower became the place of the Collège des Quatre-Nations (later occupied by the Institut de France) with the Bibliothèque Mazarine.