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Origin and history

The Château de la Devèze, located in the commune of Quissac in the Gard (Occitanie), finds its origins in an agricultural activity attested from the fourteenth century. Originally, the estate was a farmhouse named Mas de Villasses, attached to the seigneury of Saint-Nazaire-des-Gardies. In 1375, an act already mentions sheep rearing and logging on these lands. In the 15th century, the Devèze family, farmers specializing in pastoralism and textile production (wool carding), gave its name to the place. The estate, located at the border between Catholic and Protestant areas during the Wars of Religion, changed hands several times: acquired in 1660 by Hercule Duranc de Vézenobres, it then passed to the Counts of Banne d'Avéjan by alliance.

In the 18th century, the Fesquet family turned the farmhouse into a secondary residence, then a farm, shaping the castle's current architecture and developing the park. The estate remained in this family until the 20th century, before moving on to the Amidieu du Clos (from the 1970s), then to the Ducastel in 1997. The castle, still privately owned, inspired the name of a neighborhood of Quissac built on its old lands. Its strategic location, between the Coutach Massif and the Vidour, makes it a witness to the agricultural and social dynamics of the region, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

The construction of the present castle, oriented east-west, incorporates elements of the 19th century, as a buried cistern attributed to the advice of Abbé Paramelle, known for his hydraulic works. The oldest north wing houses a vaulted reception room and monumental staircase, while the south wing and the cuvege (vine building) date back to the early 19th century. The term Devèze, derived from the Latin defensum (protected zone), evokes its past of regulated pasture, typical of the Midi de la France. Today, the estate, not open to the public, retains its agricultural character and historical landscape.

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