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Origin and history

Castelnau-de-Guers Castle, located in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region, overlooks the Hérault valley. Its origin dates back at least to the Middle Ages, with traces of human occupation from prehistoric times. The present village was structured around the Castrum Novum mentioned in 1069, becoming a fief of the barons of Guers whose influence marked the territory for a long time.

In the 14th century, the barons of Guers gave their name to the village, consolidating their local power. According to tradition, one of them participated in the crusades, adding a crescent poured into their coat of arms as a symbol of victory. The line died in 1655 with Henry de Guers, and the barony passed to his half sister Laurence de Veyrac, wife of the Marquis de Vins. Their successors included Charles Emmanuel de Vintimille du Luc, the natural son of Louis XV, who emigrated in 1790.

The castle, largely destroyed during the Revolution, once housed a 12th century Saint John chapel. In the 19th century, its ruins served as a farm. Today, the castral complex, including the soils, has been protected since 2012 as a Historic Monument. Saint John's Chapel, Saint Sulpice's Gothic Church (XIII-14th centuries), and St.Antoine's Hermitage (XVI-17th centuries) bear witness to its rich religious and seigneurial past.

The medieval village, organised around a central podium, reflects a typical urban typology of Languedoc. Its history is also linked to the Domitian Way, a Roman road bordering the territory to the south, and the fish route to the east. Excavations revealed ancient remains, such as an Etruscan tomb of the sixth century BC, exhibited in town hall.

Castelnau-de-Guers, a rural commune of 1,208 inhabitants (2023), retains a remarkable natural heritage, with two ZNIEFF (natural areas of ecological interest) and a marked Mediterranean climate. Its historically wine-growing economy is now supported by 58 farms (2020), compared with 117 in 1988, illustrating contemporary rural change.

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