Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of La Verdière, built in the 10th century by the Castellane family, was originally a military fortress overlooking the road between Arles and Castellane. Composed of two superimposed rooms, it housed up to 300 men and included a castral chapel, later replaced by the present parish church. Its strategic role and primitive architecture reflected the defensive needs of the medieval period in Provence.

In the 13th century, under the house of Vintimille, the castle gradually lost its military character. A dungeon is added, and a Romanesque church replaces the primitive chapel. Work continued until the 15th century, with enlargements to the north, the construction of vaulted rooms, and the development of a garden called "the ride". The building then passed into the hands of the Castellanes, then the Forbins in 1613, marking the beginning of a transformation into a seigneurial residence.

Between 1750 and 1767, Louis-Roch de Forbin undertook immense works to convert the castle into a pleasant residence. A 40-metre terrace, twenty-two lounges, a 30-metre ballroom, and thousands of square metres of gypsum shops – among the most beautiful in Provence – are added. The castle then becomes the largest in the region, welcoming receptions and hunting parties. Ranked a historic monument in 1986, it barely escaped destruction during the French Revolution.

In the 19th century, the castle, although threatened by abandonment and degradation, survived revolutions and looting. In 1851, it temporarily housed 800 revolutionary soldiers en route to Aups. Saved in 2003 by its current owner, it is now open to visits, despite decades of neglect that caused infiltration and risk of collapse. Its 365 doors and windows, as well as its 5,000 m2 of buildings, make it an exceptional testimony of Provencal history.

Interior decorations, including gypseries, cover thousands of square metres and adorn lounges, rooms and secondary rooms. These elements, typical of Provencal art of the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the hybrid architecture resulting from successive transformations, make the castle a heritage jewel. The church, still attached to the castle, retains its bell tower and presbytery of medieval origin, although separated from the house for centuries.

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