The Archives Tower, locally known as Tour des Archives, lies in the center of the city of Vernon, in the Eure department in France.
The Archives Tower is actually the keep of the former Vernon Castle. Vernon Castle was built by King Henry I of England, the son of William the Conqueror, in 1123. The keep is 22 meters high and a rare existing example of a round keep in Normandy, like the so-called Joan of Arc Tower of the former Rouen Castle.
In 1196 the town and castle were taken by King Philip II of France from the English. He rebuilt the castle, which formed a defensive system against English forces, together with the bridge over the river Seine and Tourelles Castle on the other side of the Seine.
