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Origin and history

Chanac Castle is a feudal building built around 1194 under the reign of Berenger IV, king of Aragon, to control access to Sauveterre causse and monitor the Lot Valley. Located near the fortress of Grèzes, it was originally erected by the Crown of Aragon, before being taken over in 1220 by William IV of Peyre, bishop of Mende, who built there the dungeon still visible today. The bishops made it their summer residence for centuries, strengthening its strategic and religious role in the region.

During the Hundred Years War, Chanac Castle was one of the few in the Gevaudan to resist British attacks and the looting of roadmen. However, he changed hands several times during the Wars of Religion, especially between 1580 and 1581, where he was occupied by Mathieu Merle, Protestant leader. The bishops, under the guidance of Jean de Salas, added the clock tower, one of the oldest known examples in the region. This monument thus symbolizes the religious and political tensions of the time.

In the 17th century, the castle suffered a devastating fire in 1696, which was followed by repairs and improvements by Bishop François-Placide de Baudry de Piencourt, including a cooler to preserve winter ice. In 1790 Bishop Jean-Arnaud de Castellane took refuge there for two years before being captured and murdered. The castle, taken and burned by the revolutionaries in 1793 after a brief occupation by the counter-revolutionaries, was abandoned. Today, only the dungeon, the clock tower and the remains of ramparts remain, classified as historical monuments since 1993.

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