Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Aubais, located in the Gard in the Occitanie region, has its origins in the 13th century with a first castle of which only a round tower remains integrated during the reconstruction between 1680 and 1685. This ambitious project, led by Louis de Baschi du Cayla and his son Charles, transformed the medieval building into a classic castle, marked by an imposing house body and a central pavilion housing a monumental staircase under the dome. The architecture, although inspired by the large castles of the early 17th century like that of Blois, is distinguished by atypical Gothic elements in the vaults of the staircase, creating a unique hybrid style.

The staircase, 25 meters high and decorated with open niches, was designed by the engineer Ponce Alexis de La Feuille and the architect Gabriel Dardaillhon, attracting Vauban's admiration for its breadth and technicality. The castle, austere exterior appearance, contrasted with the richness of its central pavilion, once surmounted by a dome. Its court of honor, today village square, structured access to an interior distribution organized around this exceptional staircase, symbol of the prestige of the Baschy family.

Racked during the French Revolution, the castle served as a stone quarry and was partly destroyed, retaining only damaged portions, including the partially intact stairway. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2010 (after registration in 1998), it remains a private property but opens to the public during the European Heritage Days. Its history reflects the political and architectural upheavals of the 17th and 18th centuries, between seigneurial grandeur and revolutionary decline.

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