Château de Peyrelade

Rivière-sur-Tarn

Perched on a limestone spur overlooking the Tarn gorges, the château of Peyrelade was one of the most powerful strongholds of medieval Rouergue. Its construction spread over the 11th and 12th centuries: as early as 1080, a gift from Raymond de Roquefeuil to the abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert attests to the site's existence. In 1174 the fief passed to Gui III de Sévérac, then, from 1240, the counts of Rodez held it in turn with other co-lords, under a system of joint lordship common in the region. Protected by a triple ring of walls and a keep dominating the valley, the castle weathered the Hundred Years' War and then the Wars of Religion as best it could, before falling victim to the policy of dismantling strongholds pursued under Richelieu's ministry, around 1633. Abandoned, plundered for its stone by the inhabitants who moved back down to settle on the banks of the Tarn, it lay in ruins for more than three centuries. The site's rebirth began in 1977, when the commune of Rivière-sur-Tarn launched a vast programme of archaeological excavation and restoration, carried out largely by volunteers over nearly twenty years, until it opened to the public in 1996. The remains still offer a spectacular view over the Tarn gorges and the Causse Noir.

Getting there : Reached on foot from the village of Rivière-sur-Tarn by a shaded uphill path; site open to visitors from May to September; car park at the foot of the site.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound