Chateau d'Allègre

From a primordial tower born with feudalism in the 11th century, on the slopes of Mont Bouquet, the castrum of Allègre became at the whim of the towers which erected a coseigneury which counted up to more than twenty coseigneurs.

Abandoned by its lords in the 15th century for more comfortable homes, the few families of sharecroppers who lived there until the middle of the 20th century did not prevent it from gradually falling into ruin and oblivion.

In 1993, walkers, who fell in love with the site and wishing to stop the inexorable action of time on the stones and buildings, undertook work to save and restore the site as part of an association.

THE CASTLE ? implantation and coseigneury

Located at an altitude of 275m, the site of the Château d? Allègre occupies a central position and monitors the Cévennes to the west, the Bas-Vivarais and the middle Cèze valley to the northwest, the Méjannes plateau to the north, to the east the garrigues of Lussan and south the foothills of Mont Bouquet. This situation on the edge of the foothills of Mont Bouquet and the plain of the middle Cèze valley due to its advantages (streams and springs, steep greenhouses constituting natural defenses) has always favored human settlement. It is moreover a few hundred meters from the castle, at Cros de Peyrolles, that we discovered the presence of several bifaces witnessing human occupation over several hectares which may be between 400,000 and 150,000 years ago.

From these first sites of establishment arose various communication channels still in use in the XVIIth century.

During the birth of feudalism these different elements favored the first castration establishment on the greenhouse of Allègre.

What constitutes one of the peculiarities of the site is the significant development it has experienced. Indeed, today, the domain extends over a hectare and a half and retains a double fortified enclosure, two guard buildings, a chapel, fourteen stately homes and various service buildings. This set is the physical expression of the co-lordship.

Depending on their status, the lords owned one or more portions of a castrum. The shares determined both the charges incumbent on the co-designers, but also the rights and revenues to which they could claim vis-à-vis each other. Order and peace in the co-lordship stemmed from the balance of contributions and interests of each.

By becoming betting lords, the knights were responsible for several administrative, legal and military obligations such as the management of charges, the maintenance of order, the care, repair and defense of the fortress. In return for these services, they could build a home where part of their family generally lived. They also benefited from income derived mainly from the natural resources of the territory and from financial penalties relating to the justice of the castrum.

Archaeological excavations carried out on the site have confirmed that the way of life of the inhabitants was mainly oriented towards agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts.

Today, the site is for the most part owned by the town of Allègre-les-Fumades which has signed an emphyteutic lease with the Association.