Le castrum d'Allègre

Situated at an altitude of 275 metres, the castrum of Allègre emerges from the garrigue and dominates the middle Cèze valley.
Despite being in ruins today, it still contains towers and manor houses, a double rampart, a chapel and a village.
The mansions have a number of remarkable features: round-arched doors and windows, cupboards, niches, staircases, loopholes, archways, hoarding holes and superimposed latrines within the walls.

Ten centuries of history
"The origin of the site remains unknown. A tribute paid in 1163 by the lords of Ferreyroles to Bernard Pelet, lord of Alès, is the first known document attesting to the occupation of the site. In 1209, the Count of Toulouse acknowledged that he held the castrum in fief from the Bishop of Uzès, and King Philippe Auguste confirmed this in 1211. Medieval society, which was very advanced in Languedoc, gave the same rights to boys and girls, which explains why the castrum evolved into a coseigniory. While this was not uncommon in the region, it took on a special dimension in Allègre, where there were no fewer than twelve seigniorial houses, making the area a veritable Village of Knights.
In the 14th century, during the Hundred Years' War, the lordship of Allègre fell victim to an attack by “boors and manants”, who took over the castrum in 1383: this was the Tuchin Revolt. The lords then preferred more comfortable residences on the plain. The peasants used the site until modern times, with the occupation of one tower ending in 1910. Today, Allègre castle bears witness to ten centuries of history."
Based on ‘Le castrum d'Allègre, un village de chevaliers’ by Sophie Aspord and Jean-Marc de Béthune, 2000, published by the Allègre-les-Fumades Tourist Office.