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Origin and history

Charay Castle, also known as Charaix Castle, is a 16th-century building. It is located in the commune of La Souche, in the department of L'Ardèche, in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Originally it belonged to Bertrand de Charaix, whose name was given to the hamlet and castle. Guillaume de Ginestoux, after acquiring the original house and the surrounding lands, erected a building with two towers. Today, only one tower remains, the other parts having been dismantled and sold in batches after the French Revolution.

Located west of La Souche, the castle dominates the hamlet of Charay, 526 meters above sea level. It overlooks the course of the Lignon, near river. The site is located in the canton of Thueyts, offering a strategic position in height. Its initial architecture, marked by two towers, reflected the defensive and residential constructions of the era, although post-revolutionary transformations profoundly altered its original structure.

The history of the castle is closely linked to its successive owners. Bertrand de Charaix, the first known holder, gave the estate to Guillaume de Ginestoux, who made it an emblematic place of the sixteenth century. The French Revolution marked a decisive turning point: the estate was divided and sold, resulting in the disappearance of most architectural elements. Only a tower today bears witness to its past, while historical sources, such as the works of Ovide de Valgorge (1846) and Florentin Benoît d'Entrevaux (1914), document its existence and decline.

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