The silk-spinning fortress of the Roure

The Château des Roure, classified as a historic monument in 1978, is a fortified fortress located in Labastide-de-Virac, Ardèche. A first castle in the form of a square tower was built in the 11th century to monitor the major axis passing through the Pont d'Arc. At the end of the 14th century, a new castle was built on the old feudal fortification, belonging to the lord, the comte du Roure, from the Beauvoir de Grimoard du Roure family.

In the 16th century, the land of Labastide became the possession of Philippe Sautel, seigneur de Barjac. His son, Claude, built a fortified house that took the name Roure following the marriage of one of his daughters with Pierre de Beauvoir du Roure. The castle became a high place of the Wars of Religion until the Camisard revolt. In 1629, Louis XIII and Richelieu had the defensive parts of the castle and the village walls demolished, stripping the castle of its defensive elements such as its machicolations, its keep, and its turrets.

In 1703, Jean Cavalier took the castle of La-Bastide-de-Virac and burned the church. In 1825, the family of Beauvoir du Roure sold the castle to their tenant, the Pradier family. For many years, the family transformed the castle into a magnanerie, which became one of the largest in the region. Today, the castle is open to the public and offers historical insights as well as a sericulture experience with silk worm rearing and silk production. It was renovated between 2013 and 2016, and in 2018, a replica of a trebuchet was built at the foot of the castle. In 2019, the medieval park and its animations were created.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons