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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château of Saint-Alban, mentioned in the 12th century, originally belonged to the Barons of Apchier, one of the eight Baronial families of Gevaudan. It was a strategic point on via Podiensis, the road to Santiago de Compostela, and regularly suffered seats, such as that of the roadmen in 1360 or their capture in 1414, which led to the partial destruction of the dungeon. Its medieval architecture, marked by round towers and filled moat, was partially remodeled after these conflicts.

In the 14th century, the castle passed by alliance to the Louet de Calvisson, who added defensive elements and a seigneury. The coat of arms of this family, pale of azure and gules sown with gold roses, were adopted by the city of Saint Alban. In the 17th century, the Molettes de Morangiès, the new owners, gave it a Renaissance style: three-storey gallery, pink arkose sled windows, and portal inspired by Serlio's treatises. François de Molette, chamberlain of Gaston d'Orléans, held receptions for the local nobility.

The castle played a role during the Beast of Gevaudan case (1764–67), serving as the basis for the beatings against the animal. Jean-François-Charles de Molette, Count of Morangiès, coordinated the hunts with Étienne Lafont, although later theories (unsubstantiated) accused him of involvement in the murders. Ruined, his heir sold the estate in 1821 to Sylvain Boissier, who converted him into a psychiatric asylum under the direction of Brother Hilarion (Joseph-Xavier Tissot), a disciple of Esquirol.

After becoming a departmental psychiatric hospital in 1838, the castle welcomed figures such as philosopher Georges Canguilhem or poet Paul Éluard during the Second World War. Francois Tosquelles, Catalan psychiatrist, developed innovative methods there from 1941. A fire in 1972 damaged the roof, subsequently restored. Today, the site still houses a hospital centre, as well as a tourism office and heritage collections in Lozérie.

Ranked a historic monument in 1942, the castle retains medieval elements (northerly towers, filled moats) and Renaissance (galerie, arkose portal). The chapel Saint-Pierre, the facades of the former administrative building and the cemetery of the madmen were registered or classified between 2023 and 2024. Its architecture reflects the successive transformations, from the Hundred Years Wars to the 19th century hospital facilities.

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