Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Baulx Castle, built in the 12th century as a watchtower to monitor the Buèges valley, was enlarged in the 13th and 14th centuries. It became a fortress with a dry ditch, a crenellated enclosure, a tank and a shop to resist the seats. In 1280, he was named "Château" under the seigneury of Gaucelm de Caladon, vassal of the lords of Lunas and Pégairolles. The defences were reinforced at that time, with a slammed ramp and murderers.

The seigneury passed into the hands of the Trinquère family in the 15th century, after the marriage of Braidette de Caladon, heiress of Bertrand Berenger, with Raymond de Trinquère. In 1680 François de Ratte, lord of Cambous, built a more comfortable house. However, the castle was abandoned and declared in ruins in 1749, then used as a stone quarry for the village. He became a sheepfold after his redemption in 1813 by the Sicard family, which kept him until his donation to the commune in 1987.

Since 1991, a major restoration campaign, supported by the state, the Occitanie region and the European Union, has enabled the reconstruction of the hoards, dungeons, towers and houses. Archaeological excavations (1990-1994) accompanied this work, revealing key elements of its medieval history. Today, the site is protected and highlighted as a historical heritage.

The castle illustrates the evolution of medieval fortifications in Languedoc, moving from a simple watchtower to a seigneurial fortress, before falling into disuse in modern times. Its architecture combines defensive (fossed, lethal) and residential elements (logis of the seventeenth century), reflecting the changing needs of its occupants over the centuries.

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