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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Vissec Castle, mentioned in 1084, is a medieval building located in the Gard, on the presumed site of the late Merovingian bishopric of Arisitum. This site, described as "the spirit of a spring" by Grégoire de Tours, corresponds to the Vis, an underground river reappearing downstream. The original castellas, ruined in the seventeenth century, was partially replaced by a seigneurial house built on its remains after 1628 and 1656.

The Vissec family, attested from the 11th century, gave over the seigneury to the Montfaucon in 1458 by the marriage of Jean de Montfaucon with Antoinette Millasse. The castle was razed in 1628 by order of the Duke of Rohan during the Wars of Religion, then dismantled in 1656 after Pierre de Montfaucon's conviction for looting. The latter, released in 1667, redeveloped part of the castle in a mansion, incorporating medieval elements such as a 15th century vaulted kitchen and a 13th century stable.

The estate, confiscated as a national property in 1792, was looted and sold to local notables, including the Capion family, before being acquired in 1862 by the Bourriers, current owners. The whole — ruins of the castellas and seigneurial residence — has been listed as historical monuments since 2009. Recent excavations have revealed ancient floors and murals, while architecture mixes Gothic vaults, Italian staircases and 17th century decorations.

The site preserves traces of the noble families that are succeeded by them: the Vissec de Latude (curse: "Sistor non sistor"), the Montfalcon (barons d'Hierle), and the Tour du Pin. The castle, linked to figures such as Pierre de Montfaucon or the prisoner Masers de Latude, illustrates the religious and political tensions of Languedoc.

The present building, built between 1656 and 1666 by Pélize de Thézan, wife of Pierre de Montfaucon, incorporates medieval defensive elements (walls of 1.10 m thick) and Renaissance installations (monumental roads, French ceilings). The lower courtyard of the castellas was planted in 1458, forming the heart of the present village.

Today, Vissec Castle remains a testimony to the architectural transformations and historical upheavals of the region, combining medieval ruins and preserved seigneurial residence.

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