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Origin and history

The castle of Sommières, located in the Gard in Occitanie region, has its origins in the 10th or 11th century, although its first written mention dates from 1040. Built by the Bermond family, vassal of the Counts of Toulouse, it became a coseigneuria before being ceded in 1248 to Louis IX, which made it a strategic royal fortress. Its importance lies in its dominant position on the Tiberian Bridge, a Roman work crossing the Vidourle, and its role in monitoring the communication routes between Languedoc and the Cevennes.

In the Middle Ages, the castle was a major military issue: besieged during the Hundred Years War (taken in 1422 by Charles VII), then during the Wars of Religion (seats of 1573 and 1575), where it changed several times between Protestants and Catholics. Prisons were set up there to lock up Protestants, mainly women, and fortifications were being strengthened. After the revocation of the edict of Nantes, Sommières became a centre of repression against the Huguenots, illustrating its role in the royal policy of control of the territories.

From the 18th century, the castle lost its strategic importance and became a military barracks and ordinary prison. Sold as a national property in 1809, part of its ruins was occupied by inhabitants until the 19th century, forming a popular neighborhood. In the 20th century, partial destructions (such as the construction of water reservoirs in 1936) and successive restorations (notably since 2004) were aimed at preserving its remains, including the Bermond Tower, which was listed as a historic monument in 1926, and the entire site registered in 2010.

The architecture of the castle reflects its evolution: the tower Bermond (XIIIth century), a 25-metre stone dungeon, dominates the site with its murderers and slots. The castral chapel, dedicated to the Saint-Sauveur by Louis IX, blends Romanesque and Gothic styles, while the ramparts, partially degraded, bear traces of the seats suffered. The successive enclosures, such as the Vignasse, and the towers (Montlaur, Bistoure) bear witness to military adaptations to conflicts, from medieval wars to religious unrest.

The ditches, cut into the rock, and the defensive systems (false chalk, bastions) complete a device designed to resist besiegers. The barracks, built or renovated in the 18th century, housed garrison and prisoners, while graffiti of Protestant detainees (such as those evoking the Hardie galley) recalled post-revocation persecutions. Today, the site, a mixed property (municipal and private), is being restored to enhance this emblematic heritage of the Gard.

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