Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Rustrel, built in the centre of the village during the first half of the seventeenth century, replaces the old castle of Villevieille, demolished in 1590 by decision of the City Council for a cost of 25 ECU. This new building adopts an architecture characteristic of the castles of Haute Provence: a quadrilateral flanked by four rounded round towers, a fourth of which was rebuilt in 1992. A recent restoration has highlighted its front door and central windows, framed by large bosses. The castle now houses the town hall of Rustrel.

The monument has been partially classified as a Historic Monument since 1989, especially for its Louis XII fireplace and its large room decorated with painted decorations, located at the northeast corner of the first floor. The facades and roofs are included in the additional inventory. The castle is inscribed in local history as a symbol of seigneurial power, then communal, after belonging to noble families such as the Simianes or the Eyroux before being sold in a parage to the city of Apt.

Rustrel, a village at the foot of the Vaucluse Mountains, owes part of its historical wealth to mining and steel mining. In the 19th century, the blast furnaces near the chapel Notre-Dame des Anges, now in ruins, testify to this industrial activity linked to the extraction of iron. The castle, as an administrative center, also embodies the transition between modern and contemporary times, marked by the Wars of Religion (Protestant occupation between 1570 and 1575) and the creation of the department of Vaucluse in 1793, of which Rustrel is now part.

External links