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Origin and history

The Château des Roure is a medieval fortress built at the end of the 16th century on the remains of an 11th century feudal castle, then rebuilt in the 14th century. Located in Labastide-de-Virac, in the south of the Ardèche, it controlled the major axis of the bridge of Arc and served as a strategic point between Nîmes and Privas, in an area marked by religious tensions. The village, mostly Protestant, developed around the castle, whose houses formed a natural rampart.

Originally, the castle belonged to the Counts of Roure, from the Beauvoir family of Grimoard. In the 16th century, he passed to Philippe Sautel, seigneur of Barjac, and then to his son-in-law Pierre de Beauvoir du Roure. The site became a high place of the Wars of Religion, welcoming the Duke of Rohan in 1628. In 1629 Louis XIII and Richelieu ordered the destruction of his defences (scauguuettes, dungeon, mâchicoulis) to weaken the Huguenots. After the revocation of the edict of Nantes (1685), the Count of Roure abjure Protestantism.

In the 18th century, the castle was transformed into a silkworm farm by the Pradier family, which was acquired in 1825. This activity, flourishing until the First World War, made it one of Ardèche's greatest magnanies. Ranked a historic monument in 1978 for its facades, interior courtyard and fireplaces, the castle was restored between 2013 and 2016. Since 1975, he has been visiting and offering medieval animations, a Silk Museum (opened in 2002), and a replica of trebuchet installed in 2018.

Today, the Château des Roure combines architectural heritage and industrial memory. Its furnished rooms, its magnanerie converted into a cultural space, and its dungeon offering an exceptional panorama attract more than 45,000 visitors annually. The site also perpetuates traditional silkworm breeding, exploiting mulberry trees for educational and tourist purposes.

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