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Origin and history

Gicon Castle is a medieval fortress built between the 12th and 13th centuries in Chusclan, Occitania. Climbing at 245 metres above sea level, it overlooks the Rhône valley and offers a panorama including Mount Ventoux and the fortress of Mornas. Its strategic location allowed to control the passage of the Carmignan ford, a crossing point of the Cèze on the old road to Nîmes.

Archaeological excavations reveal that the castle was built on the remains of a Celtic oppidum, as evidenced by the northeast, north and west walls of Celtic origin. A Roman calade was also discovered, suggesting a continuous occupation of the site since ancient times. In the medieval era, the domain was a political issue: given to the bishopric of Uzes in 1156 by Louis VII, then attached to the kingdom of France in 1229 after the Albigeian Crusade.

The dungeon, erected between 1200 and 1260, marked the climax of the castle. In 1270 Louis IX stopped there before his eighth crusade, accompanied by the seigneur of Gicon, both died shortly after dysentery in Tunis. In the 14th century, Philip the Bel entrusted the seigneury to Guilhem de Saint Just, authorizing the construction of a strong house. The decline began in the 17th century: the dungeon was mined in 1631 by order of Louis XIII, and the ruins served as a stone quarry until the 19th century.

The restoration of the site began in 1973, when farmers from Chusclan bought the fortress. Renovation works were started in 1987, and since 1990 the Association Les Amis de Gicon has ensured its preservation. A tour circuit was set up in 2009. Today, the castle attracts visitors for its medieval history and exceptional panorama of the region.

The site includes an orientation table and the remains of the chapel Sainte-Madeleine, accessible by a trail from the Gicon farm. Ancient maps, such as Cassini's, rarely mention the castle, highlighting its prolonged state of ruin before its modern rehabilitation.

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