Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Prades, located at the entrance of the village of Prades on the municipality of Sainte-Enimie (Lozère), is erected at the beginning of the thirteenth century. In 1283 he went under the possession of the Abbey of Sainte-Enimie to strengthen his defence. Its architecture includes a housing body to the south, a chapel to the north, and a square tower at the northwest corner, all surrounded by a wall of enclosure delineating an inner courtyard. Two small appenti buildings complete the northern façade.

During the religious wars, the castle resisted a Protestant siege led by Captain Merle, blocking their advance westward. At the Revolution, it became a national good, and was converted into a farm before being abandoned in 1950. Restored from the 1960s by the Caisse des dépôts, it became private property again in 1972. A historical study in 1974 led to its inscription in historical monuments, confirmed in 2009.

Today, the castle dominates the Tarn gorges and remains a private residence closed to the public. Only medieval elements remain on the ground floor, such as a vaulted hall and a broken arched lower room. Its entrance porch keeps a tower of staircase with screws, witness to its defensive and religious past.

The site has been fully registered (castle, terraces, gardens) since 2009, although its exact location is estimated as "mediocre" (note 5/10) in the heritage bases. Available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) highlight its strategic role in local history, between monastic protection and military issues.

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