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Origin and history

Barry Fort is a medieval castle built around 1200 near Bollène, in the current Vaucluse. Originally, he belonged to several co-teachers, including the powerful Adhémar family, lords of Montélimar, and the Baux, princes of Orange. In 1228, Giraud Adhémar sold his share to the prior of Bollène, dependent on the Abbey of Barbe Island, while receiving the fort in fief-oblate under military conditions. This transfer could be linked to the pressure of the Albige crusade, while Louis VIII assiège Avignon in 1226. Despite the Treaty of Paris (1229) ordering its destruction, the castle remained and remained active: the Adhémar paid tribute to Alphonse de Poitiers in 1251 and the Baux to the pope in 1274.

In 1386 Raimond des Baux gave his share to Cardinal de Saluces, prior of Bollene, marking Barry's decline, reduced to a simple hamlet. Its probable destruction at the end of the 14th century coincides with the ravages of the armed bands of Raimond de Turenne in the region. The remains, inscribed in the historical monuments in 1927, today recall its strategic role in feudal and religious conflicts of the Middle Ages, between local lords, Church and crown.

The site also illustrates the dynamics of power in medieval Provence, where alliances between noble families (Adhémar, Baux), the Holy See and the kings of France were recomposed according to crusades and treaties. Its architecture, although partially erased, preserves traces of fortifications typical of the 12th to 14th centuries, as triple murderers studied by historians. Written sources, including notarial acts and feudal tributes, shed light on its turbulent history, between Albigese resistance and progressive integration into the pontifical domain.

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