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Origin and history

The Château de la Clauze, located two leagues from Saugues in the commune of Grèzes, is an octagonal donjon dating from the 14th century. This military monument, characteristic of the Gevaudan, served as a strategic lock to the south of the parish. Its octagonal shape, rare for the time, eliminated the dead angles present in rectangular or square buildings. The top of the tower is crowned with mâchicoulis, and access was once through a mobile bridge, highlighting its defensive role.

In 1575, the castle was looted, a significant event in its turbulent history. The path of round, now gone, leaves only the ravens of the mâchicoulis. This dungeon, initially independent of the rest of the castle, bears witness to regional tensions, especially during the wars of Religion where Grèzes, unlike the neighbouring Saugues, was not fortified and suffered the ravages of the Huguenot troops. The castle was partially dismantled in the 19th century, leaving only this iconic tower.

From a legal point of view, the châtellenie de Grèzes, on which the châtelle depended, was attached to the Paris Parliament in 1554 at the request of Nicolas de Vaudemont, thus detaching the region from the bailliage of Gevaudan. This change reflects the political challenges of the time, when local lords sought to secure their territories. The château de la Clauze, classified as a Historical Monument in 1974 for its dungeon (after its first inscription in 1937), remains a symbol of the struggles of power and the military architectural adaptations in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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