When in Paris, Consider a Stop at La Tour Saint-Jacques
When in Paris, Consider a Stop at La Tour Saint-Jacques
by Dennis Brooke | Mesa, AZ
My wife, Laurie, and I have used Paris as a jumping-off point for both the Camino Francés and Chemin du Puy. The “City of Light” was a great place to recover from jet lag and explore before we took a train to our starting points.
It is also the home to a stunning Camino-related monument: La Tour Saint-Jacques, or the Tower of St. James. This site is only a few blocks from Notre Dame, and it’s all that remains of the 16th-century Saint-Jacques-La-Boucherie church. The building was dedicated to St. James, and once held a relic of the Apostle, which helped make it a major stop for pilgrims passing through Paris on their way to Santiago de Compostela. It is now recognized as one of the four starting points of the Camino de Santiago in France.
Sadly, most of the church was demolished during the French Revolution. Only the Gothic bell tower was preserved. For decades, it was used for various purposes, including lead bullet manufacturing and meteorological experiments. In the 19th century, the city repurchased it, installed a statue of the beloved St. James on the top, and declared it a “monument historique.”
For decades, the 54-meter tower suffered serious structural issues and was unsafe enough that it was covered in protective sheeting. Between 2006 and 2013, the city carried out an extensive restoration project, which included an expansive park at the tower’s base.
You can take a guided tour to the top of the tower and get a special Camino stamp. The top of the tower is 300 steps above the surrounding park and looks out over Paris, including the newly reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Laurie and I have never started a Camino at the tower, but after completing our seventh, we went to Paris and made a point of touring this landmark. The one-hour visit is offered in English for about the price of a pilgrim meal on the Camino. The views are rewarding, and the park itself is a great place to relax or take a picnic meal. At the visitor’s kiosk in the park, you can get your pilgrim passport stamped. Find information about the tower and tickets here.
Even if you aren’t starting a Camino in Paris, a visit to this monument to the memory of St. James is a great destination for any pilgrim.
Editor’s note: Dennis & Laurie Brooke write about their travels at worldrovers.com. Check out their blog for Camino resources and stories.
