Castles in Hérault
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are numerous Castles in the Herault départment of France. Most are little more than ruins and many are barely discernable. Castles may be found at the following locations among others:
- Agel Medieval builders in the 12th century raised a castle whose location became the centre of the village. The castle controlled strategic routes. The present château comprises a central fortified tower, four other towers (two with a spiral staircase) and a pigeon loft, and is run as a hotel. It was listed as a Monument historique in 1979.
- Aigues-Vives
- Autignac The village retains vestiges of an ancient castle
- Cabrerolles Village sited on an important route. The presence of a castle confirms the vital importance of this section of the high country.
- Cabrières The castle was mentioned in Gregory of Tours' Historia Francorum ("History of the Franks"). The old village was built at the foot of the castle. The site was never unoccupied until Théodebert, future king of Austrasia left the castle to crown himself, accompanied by Deoteria, Countess of Cabrières. According to legend, before leaving for Lorraine, the future queen took care to pack in her baggage some local vine cuttings. These found the hillsides of Moselle to their liking and produced a wine in which the sun of Cabrières shone. This castle was bought by the french soprano Emma Calvé in 1894.
- Castelnau de Guers This medieval village perched on rocky outcrop near Pézenas, takes its names from the Barons of Guers, who reigned at the Castelnau Castle until the 17th century. The feudal castle was first mentioned in 1069. Today, there remain the crenellated façade, a romanesque doorway topped by a machicolation, curtain walls, the structure of the drawbridge and the romanesque chapel. There is a magnificent panorama over the plain from the terrace. The site of the castle was listed as a Monument historique in 2003.
- Cébazan: Château de Saint-Bauléry
- Clermont-l'Hérault Remains of Château des Guilhem. Listed as a Monument historique in 1927.
- Creissan Château constructed in the 10th century; remains in poor condition.
- Cruzy Narrow village streets lead to a feudal château from the 12th century, formerly the property of the Viscounts of Narbonne.
- Faugères Medieval château, 12th century.
- Fos The castle was built under the reign of François I. However, it is said that, well before then, Charlemagne fought the Saracens here.
- Laurens Originally the site of a Roman villa and home for centurions. In the 12th century, the Knights Templar established the castle as a commandery. Surrounded by its middle ages walls, it is known as le petit Carcassonne (little Carcassonne). Modified in the 16th century, it was restored and remodelled in the 19th by Viollet-le-Duc. Listed as a Monument historique in 1923, the site is privately owned and run as a hotel and the centre of a vineyard of 110 hectares (271 acres) producing 42 000 hectolitres a year. ( Website)
- Montouliers
- Neffiès The town is built in circular form around the castle.
- Pailhès
- Pézenas Destroyed 1632. See Château de Pézenas
- Pézènes-les-Mines The feudal castle is on the edge of the village, dominating the site from a rocky ridge. It was listed as a Monument historique in 1981.
- Puisserguier Remains of castle and walls from the 12th century.
- Roquessels The Château de Roquessels was built in the 10th century. It was a dependency of the convent of Cassans, which collected tithes from the baron of Margon. In 1247, the inhabitants of the village, like all subjects of the Trencavals, viscount of Béziers, were released from their pledge of allegiance and submitted to the king of France. The castle resisted valiantly the assaults of Simon de Montfort's army. Today, the only remains are a chapel with fine windows and massive walls on three sides.
- Thézan-lès-Béziers Like many other villages in the region, Thézan is built around a hilltop surmounted with a medieval castle (the Château d'Aspiran de Ravanès) having a 14th century façade, a large round tower from the 17th century and a gate dated 1674.
[edit] See also
[edit] External sites
The French Ministry of Culture website has database entries on the following castles:
[edit] Sources
- Faugères & Saint-Chinian en Terres d'Orb' (booklet) (2004) Edition 2004
- Discovering the Historic and Remarkable sites of the Pays d'Agde Region (leaflet) Communauté de Communes des Pays d'Agde (undated)
- French Ministry of Culture at www.culture.gouv.fr
