In 1909, the Hollow Spire, a detective novel by Maurice Leblanc, took place in Étretat. It retraces the adventures of Arsène Lupin in relation to the spire of the local cliffs and its legend. It is said that the treasure of the Kings of France would be buried inside. Some 180 ft (55 m) high, the spire has recently lost its tip, which sank into the sea. Like the Porte d'Aval that adjoins it, it was born from a river once running along the beach, digging the cliffs of Aval, Amont, and Manneporte.