The Pile of Saint-Lary is a Gallo-Roman stone tower, also known as a pile, located in Saint-Lary, in the Gers department of France. It has been listed as a Monument historique since 1875.
Location
The pile is situated on the top of a hill, within a wooded area, approximately 700 meters from the village of Saint-Lary, separated by the D 930 road.
Description The Pile of Saint-Lary is one of the most remarkable piles in the Gers region, notable for retaining much of its original facing, along with decorative elements. It is a quadrangular structure standing at 10.25 meters tall and measuring 3.90 meters on each side. The upper part features an eastern-facing niche, now missing its vault, but originally semi-circular in plan and likely vaulted in a semi-dome. This niche is framed by two pilasters beneath a prominent cornice.
Below the niche, the carefully constructed small stone blocks present decorative elements, including two vertical diamond shapes formed by smaller stone diamonds, above a triangular pediment filled with small horizontal diamonds. Below this, a rectangular mosaic panel comprises hexagonal and square tiles in contrasting colors. The north and southwest faces are composed of dry stone.
The pile of Saint-Lary is classified as a Monument historique (France) and has been listed since 1875.
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