The Castle of Aubenas

At 40 km from your campsite, the castle of Aubenas awaits you

Tall of its imposing stature. This building dating from the 12th century, located at the highest point of the city was a position of strategic watch to watch the road between the Puy en Velay and Montélimar.

The castle passed into the hands of several families from the twelfth century to the revolution. Originally, the Montlaur family built a defensive dungeon, the surrounding wall and the two large towers. It was during the reign of the lords of Montlaur that the town developed to make aubenas a prosperous commune.

Beginning in 1441, the castle returned by marriage to the Maubec family until 1551. It had the mullioned tower of the inner courtyard, called the Maubec tower, built.

Then, always by marriage, the castle became the property of the Modena family, which added a loggia to the Italian with three levels of arcades, the castle passing from a feudal building to a Renaissance residence.

In 1611, it was the turn of the Ornano family to settle in the castle. It is to it that one owes refined interiors with in particular the rehabilitation of the ceilings to the French and the arrangement of woodworks.

The prince of Hercourt by marrying the daughter of Ornano became the master of the place in 1665 but he paid very little attention to the castle and sold it to the family of Vogüe as early as 1716.

The latter made important works: he made pierce twin doors on the south facade and realized the great staircase of honor of the inner courtyard whose ramp is a masterpiece of ironwork of the eighteenth. He also installed Louis XV wainscoting in the apartments, and arranged the salons.

At the time of the revolution, the castle was declared a national property and was plundered in 1792, but the town hall succeeded in protecting it and installed the town hall in 1810.

The castle of Aubenas is in itself a true condensed history of art, which has metamorphosed over the centuries under the imprint of the six families who were owners.

Information:

Château d’Aubenas

Place de l’hôtel de ville
07200 Aubenas
Tél. : 04 75 87 81 11