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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The castle of Vernègues is a medieval building built on a rocky escarpment, in the heart of the village of Vernègues, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Its origin dates back to the time when Castrum Alvernicum, one of the two fortifications mentioned on ancient maps as early as the eighth century, structured the local settlement. This strategic site became the nucleus around which the village developed, with the castle as a symbol of power and protection.

On 11 June 1909, a violent earthquake — known as the Lambesc earthquake (magnitude 6 on the Richter scale) — ravaged the region. The castle and much of the historic village were reduced to ruins, leaving only visible remains on the southern side of the plateau. These ruins, witnesses of the disaster, still mark the landscape today and recall the vulnerability of constructions to natural forces.

Since 1934, the ruins of the castle have been protected as historical monuments by the French Ministry of Culture. Owned by the municipality of Vernègues, the site was not rebuilt but retains a heritage and memorial value. Its ranking reflects the importance of preserving these traces of a medieval past and of a major seismic event in regional history.

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