Mende - Tour des Pénitents

The city of Mende (pop. ~ 12000) is situated in the high valley of the Lot, within the area of the "Grands Causses" (limestone plateaus). One of these plateaus is the "Mont Mimat".

The historic city center is all around the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Privat. The center is bordered by boulevards which took the place of the ancient walls - and the 15 towers around Mende.

The "Tour des Pénitents" was part of this old fortifications, built in 1161 by Bishop Aldebert. In 1593 was restored and in the 17th century, an adjoining chapel was built for the "Confrérie des Pénitents Blancs" (Brotherhood of the White Penitents). As the tower from then on served as a bell tower it got the present name then.