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Origin and history

The ancient castle of Cabannes, located in the eponymous village of Provence, finds its first mentions in the 12th century, although its construction spread mainly between the 13th and 15th centuries. The initial lords, like Rostan and Barthélémy de Cabannes, gradually gave way to influential families such as the Raymond de Cabannes, then the Rostang de Gantelmy and the Blacas Pontevès. These changes reflect the political and social dynamics of the region, including tensions between local lords and village communities.

At the beginning of the 15th century, Antoine de Pontevès, Viscount of Bargème, became lord of Cabannes and faced a revolt of the inhabitants, who seated the castle. In response, he undertook important work between 1440 and 1450, reinforcing defences and modernizing structures (floors, frames). These developments transformed the castle into a more imposing fortress, adapted to the strategic needs of the time. The square tower, now extinct, flanked the building to the west, symbolizing this disputed seigneurial power.

In the 16th century, the castle passed to the Rollands, a Burgundian family that grew in power thanks to matrimonial alliances. Antoine Rollands, a member of parliament in 1533, and his son Antoine II, knight of the order of Saint-Michel and viguier of Marseilles, illustrate this ascent. The castle, endowed with a chapel in the seventeenth century, reached its peak under Henri des Rollands, which obtained from Louis XIV the erection of Cabannes in marquisat. This prestige, however, collapsed in the 18th century with the extinction of the Rolland lineage in 1752.

The French Revolution marked a dramatic turning point: the Marquis Paul-Jean-Louis de Vento, the last owner, emigrated in 1792 after the castle was looted. Its confiscated property, the monument is loti and fragmented, losing part of its architectural integrity. Despite these upheavals, decorative elements remained until the late 19th century, before the west tower was demolished in 1894. Today, the old castle, fully protected since 2022, bears witness to these centuries of power, conflict and transformation.

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