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Origin and history

Château du Castellas de Forcalqueiret, located on a rocky ridge at 410 meters above sea level, is a medieval vestige overlooking the Issole valley. Its origins date back to the 11th century, when Forcalqueiret's castrum was first mentioned in 1025. The site, with an area of about 500 m2, is isolated by a ditch cut out of the rock, and its ruins include traces of masonry walls, scoops, as well as fragments of tuf, lime and round tiles, suggesting continuous occupation until the 16th century.

In the Middle Ages, the lands of Forcalqueiret belonged to the Viscounts of Marseilles, who gave them to the Abbey of Saint-Victor. The fief, reconstructed in the 13th century by Geoffroy Reforciat, then passed on to the family of Agoult, which gave the Castellas its almost definitive appearance, probably in the 15th century. The castle was later passed on to the families of Montauban and Garde de Vins, of which Hubert de Vins, leader of the Ligue en Provence, was a prominent figure before being killed in 1589. The site, partially demolished to recover materials, retains traces of a possible religious building, as evidenced by the pieces of tuff, a material used until the 13th century for vaults and arches.

Castellas was included in the additional inventory of historical monuments in 1966. Its history is linked to that of the seigneury of Forcalqueiret, which became a marquisate in the 18th century under Louis Sauveur de Villeneuve, ambassador and councillor of state. The current remains, littered with rubble and ceramics, evoke intense occupation followed by a gradual decline, marked by the recovery of stones. The proximity to the Issole River, where Sancti Victoris de Causalo (cited in 1113 and 1135) was once found, reinforces the hypothesis of an early religious occupation on the site.

Architecturally, Castellas illustrates medieval construction techniques in Provence, with local stone walls and defensive layouts adapted to the relief. Its gradual abandonment reflects the political and social transformations of the region, including the end of feudal conflicts and the evolution of strategic needs. Today, the ruins offer a panorama of the valley and recall the historical importance of Forcalqueiret, a village marked by its seigneurial past and its links with the large Provencal families.

The partial demolition of the castle, suggested by the dredged scoop, indicates a systematic recovery of materials, a common practice from the Renaissance. Subsequent excavations and studies revealed artifacts dating from the Iron Age, confirming an old occupation of the site. Castellas remains a symbol of Provencal medieval heritage, reflecting the political and architectural dynamics that shaped the region between the 11th and 16th centuries.

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