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Origin and history

The castle of the Hers, located in Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the banks of the Rhone, has its origins in the 10th century, although its current remains date mainly from the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. Built on a 25-metre-long rocky platform, it controlled a strategic point of river traffic, with a toll certified as early as 79 AD under Vespasian. A necropolis of the 7th and 7th centuries and traces of ancient occupation (tombes, tegulae, weapons) testify to its early importance. The castellam of Leri, quoted in 913, was ceded by Louis l'Aveugle to the bishop of Avignon, marking the beginning of his feudal history.

In the 11th century, the fief was infused with Pierre d'Albaron, who erected a dungeon before 1094, the date of the first mention of Castro Novo (future Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Enlarged in the 12th century, the castle was renovated in the 13th century, with the addition of a square dungeon and a round tower in the 14th century under the impetus of Pope John XXII, who invested 3,000 guilders there in 1316. The Albaron, then the Roquefeuil and the Germans of Laudun, retained the seigneury until the 16th century, exploiting its role as a toll on the Rhône, abolished during the Revolution.

The castle was an enclave of Languedoc in Comtat Venaissin, housing two places of worship: a parish church (Saint Mary) and a castral chapel (Saints Como and Damien). Its current remains — the lower hall of the medieval dungeon, the 14th century round tower and the pierced walls — have been classified as historical monuments since 1973 and 2023. Today the private property of the family Quiot, renowned wine growers, the site is not accessible to the public but has given its name to a neighbouring wine estate.

Archaeological excavations revealed artifacts ranging from Iron Age to Late Antiquity, including medals, weapons and a re-used cipolin plaque. The legend of a Templar presence in the 12th century, evoked by historiographers, was invalidated by modern research. The castle, symbol of seigneurial and ecclesiastical power, illustrates the territorial rivalries between Languedoc and Comtat, as well as the economic importance of the Rhône in the Middle Ages.

After the Revolution, the Hers enclave was attached to the Vaucluse. The castle, passed into the hands of the Rohan-Soubise in the 17th century, lost its peaper function but retained its historical prestige. The remains, including a crenellated courtine and two opposing dungeons (th century square and 14th century cylindrical), offer a rare testimony of medieval military architecture in Provence.

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