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Origin and history

The castle of Germany-in-Provence was built at the end of the 14th century by the Barons of Castellane, after their exile from their initial fief because of their support for the Marseille revolts. In the thirteenth century, the latter had been cut behind a five tower enclosure, now extinct. The present building, initiated by François de Castellane and completed by his son Melchior at the beginning of the 15th century, rises from a dungeon attested in 1380. This strategic site, close to the Colostre (Verdon tributary), reflects the defensive and residential importance of this noble lineage.

In 1586, the castle became the theatre of an episode marking the wars of Religion: Jeanne de Grasse, wife of Baron Nicolas du Mas de Castellane, resisted 16 days of leaguers. Her husband, killed with a musket stroke while trying to join her after a battle, leaves the castle to their son Alexander. The latter, after his marriage to Martha d'Oraison in 1610, died prematurely in 1611, leaving Martha widow and owner of the premises. She later founded the Capucines convent in Marseilles and passed the estate on to her daughter Gabrielle, who married Antoine de Villeneuve in 1624.

The castle remained in the hands of the Castellanes until the end of the 16th century, then passed between those of Provençal families, like the Rippert-Monclar in the 19th century. The latter undertook major restorations between 1839 and the beginning of the 20th century. In 1936, the widow of the Marquis François Rippert-Barret bequeathed the castle to the free schools of the dioceses of Digne and Avignon. After World War II, he was transformed into a holiday colony by the Confectioner Union of Apt (1945-1977), before being acquired by a private couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ruger.

Architecturally, the castle combines a 14th century medieval square dungeon with 16th century Renaissance houses, organized around a rectangular courtyard flanked by round towers. The richly worked windows and a Provençal mas display this stylistic duality. Ranked Historic Monument in 1986, it embodies both a military, residential and religious heritage, marked by conflicts and alliances of local elites.

Today, the castle retains traces of its many lives: Castellane fortress, place of Protestant resistance, seigneurial estate, then educational and tourist establishment. Its history reflects the political and social upheavals of Provence, from medieval revolts to modern restorations, including the wars of Religion and the charitable legacy of the 19th century.

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