Le télégraphe Chappe

The Chappe optical telegraph line had 117 towers on the Paris-Toulon line.

Chiroubles Tower n°56, 5.6m square, was located between Pruzilly (9 km 3) and Quincié (8 km 1).

Located 635 m above sea level, on the crest of the Fût d'Avenas in Durbize, it served from 1810 to 1853 and the abandonned.

Its dimensions were approximately as follows: 6.5 m high, on a base of 5m x 4.5 m. The mast rose 4 m above the roof.. Upstairs was the telegraph room, on the ground floor the rest room.

The locality, above the hamlet of Seignes, is named "The Signal" - plot D 74.

On the ground, few traces, the abandoned tower was transformed into a dwelling before being demolished around 1925.

The Chappe tower of Chiroubles was to be similar to this one - Marcy sur Anse -

Tour Chappe de Marcy

The mecanism

A mechanism with 3 arms of 5 m 60 surmounted the tower.

Each indicator can take 7 positions, the regulator 2 is 7x7x2x2=196 positions but only 98 were used.

Transmitting 25 signs over 450 km required 38 minutes in favorable weather.

Le personnel de la Tour

Two officers, the guards, were on duty and took turns at noon each day. They are monitored by an inspector with 13 to 14 stations..

On November 7, 1847, the stationary Thomas Dulac was suspended for 15 days for having directly taken the signals on Marchampt, without passing through the station of Quincié.

In May 1845 the roof was destroyed by a fire which gives the stationary a severe note from the telegraph director.

In 1845 a stationary worker is paid 1.25 to 2.25 F/day, a skilled worker 3.75 F/day. But the stationary are at the same time winegrowers or peasants.

In 1858, a plasterer from Villié, Louis Monnery named Simon, bought the plots of land from M. Gonin and the municipality of Chiroubles the building, restores it and baptized it "Malakoff" pavilion".

He decides to organize a lottery with the pavilion as a prize, selling 15,000 tickets for 1 franc but this sale is considered illegal.

In 1887 the plot was sold to Joseph Piquand, then his sister Jeannette sold it to his nephew François-Joseph Monteil.

La Tour Chappe - oct 1943

Sources :

• Telegraph Chappe - List of towers - Chiroubles


• See website Thérèse Eveilleau - page Trucs-> Divers (bas de page)-> le télégraphe de Chappe


• The telegraph Chappe - the code


• Speech by Jean-Claude Laut - january 2012
  - bulletin n°41, 2018, de l’Académie de Villefranche, pages 42 à 51 et communication orale en 2016


• La Station télégraphique Chappe de Chiroubles par Jean-Claude Laut - juillet 2016