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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Roquedols Castle, located in Meyrueis, Lozère, is a Renaissance building built in the second quarter of the 16th century, as attested by the lintel of the entrance gate dated 1534. Although archives mention a "mas" on the site as early as 1300, the first document explicitly evoking a castle dates from 1607. The current building, consisting of two square bodies flanked by round towers, probably replaces a 14th century strong house linked to the family Pagès, influential local lords.

The Pages family, originally from Aquitaine, acquired the seigneurial rights of the estate in 1329. Herail of Pages, Huguenot captain during the Wars of Religion, marks the history of the place. In 1604, Henri IV erected Roquedols as a barony to reward their loyalty. The castle then passed to the Dupont of Bossuges (1715), then to the Marseille industrialists (Dol) in the 19th century, during which period the estate suffered over-exploitation before being bought by the state in 1938.

During the Second World War, the castle served as a refuge for the forest services and housed works of art, perhaps La Mona Lisa. It was classified as a protection forest in 1937 and became an information centre in Cevennes National Park in 1973. Closed to the public since 2006 for reasons of security, it preserves classified furniture (furniture, tapestries, 19th century paintings) and a remarkable Renaissance staircase.

Architecturally, the castle combines ochre sandstone with local slates, with vaulted halls, a carved double-fly staircase, and a horse iron perron added in 1914. The park includes a French-style garden, a giant redwood planted in 1876, and an educational forest trail. The successive transformations (filled ravines, kitchens converted into stables) reflect its functional evolution.

The building, listed as a historic monument in 2012, illustrates the seigneurial history of Gevaudan, the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century, and modern heritage management. Its furniture and interior decorations (pathways, stuccos, French ceilings) bear witness to its past prestige, despite the alterations related to its forest and tourist use.

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