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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur
  4. Alpes-Maritimes
  5. 06830 Gilette

  6. Gilette Castle

 Gilette Castle dans les Alpes-Maritimes

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château fort
Alpes-Maritimes

Gilette Castle

    Rue du Château 
    06830 Gilette
Ownership of the municipality
Museums of France
All the castles of France
Château de Gilette
Château de Gilette
Château de Gilette
Château de Gilette
Château de Gilette
Château de Gilette
Château de Gilette
Crédit photo : Zil - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1028
First quote from Gillette
XIIe siècle
Initial construction
1526
Grimaldi headquarters
1706
Orderly destruction
1793
Battle of Gillette
1933
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Castle (ruins): inscription by order of 28 June 1933

Key figures

Alphonse Ier de Provence - Count of Provence (1157–1196) Builder of the Aiguille castle
Honoré Laugier - Lord of Gillette (early 16th) Denounced the Grimaldi plot
Jean-Baptiste et René Grimaldi - Lords of Ascros and Mascare Seated the castle in 1526
Louis XIV - King of France (r. 1643–1715) Ordained destruction in 1706

Origin and history

The castle of Gillette, built in the 12th century by a branch of the family of Vintimille, dominates the village from a rocky piton. It was first mentioned indirectly in 1028 via the cartular of the Abbey of Saint-Pons, then possession of the Thorame-Castellane. A Benedictine priory, dependent on Saint-Victor de Marseille, was associated. The Aiguille castle, built by Alphonse I of Provence (1157–1196), strengthened its defensive role.

In the 16th century, the castle was enlarged to occupy all the space available, while the village moved towards the current pass. In 1526 Honoré Laugier, lord of Gillette, denounced a Grimaldi plot (to the king of France) and was besieged in the castle. The Grimaldi, condemned by the Count of Savoy, resisted it two months before fleeing. The site was occupied by French troops between 1536 and 1544, then passed to the Orserio and Caïs families.

In 1706 Louis XIV ordered his destruction. The ruins still participated in the battle of Gillette (1793) during the revolutionary wars. The castle, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1933, now belongs to the commune. Its remains bear witness to the conflicts between Provence, Savoie and France.

The archival sources also mention a link with the Counts of Provence and the regional abbeys, stressing its importance in the Mediterranean feudal networks. The excavations and documents (like those of Simonetta Tombaccini) illuminate his military and seigneurial history.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum