Château de Peyrelade
Encyclopedia
The Château de Peyrelade is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Rivière-sur-Tarn
in the Aveyron
département of France.
The name is derived from the occitan "Pèira Lada", meaning wide rock; an accurate description of the site. Objects found on the site suggest it was inhabited in prehistoric times.
Thanks to its position controlling the entrance to the Gorges du Tarn
, it was one of the most important castles in the Rouergue
province. It existed at least as far back as the 12th century, and was the scene of incessant battles and sieges until 1633 when it was dismantled on the orders of Richelieu.
The ruins give a good idea of the layout of the castle. The outer wall was more than 250m (~800 ft) long, 10m (~33 ft) high and 2.1m (~7 ft) thick. The castle was dominated by a natural rock keep
more than 50m (~163 ft) high, only accessible from a round tower attached to it.
The Château de Peyrelade is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron who have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as La Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue. Château de Peyrelade is open to visitors from mid-June to mid-September.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Rivière-sur-Tarn
Rivière-sur-Tarn
Rivière-sur-Tarn is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.The Château de Peyrelade is a ruined castle, open to visitors.-Population:-References:*...
in the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
département of France.
The name is derived from the occitan "Pèira Lada", meaning wide rock; an accurate description of the site. Objects found on the site suggest it was inhabited in prehistoric times.
Thanks to its position controlling the entrance to the Gorges du Tarn
Tarn River
The Tarn is a long river in southern France , right tributary of the Garonne.The Tarn runs in a roughly westerly direction, from its source at an altitude of 1,550 m on Mont Lozère in the Cévennes mountains , through the deep gorges and canyons of the Gorges du Tarn The Tarn is a long...
, it was one of the most important castles in the Rouergue
Rouergue
Rouergue is a former province of France, bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan and on the west by Quercy...
province. It existed at least as far back as the 12th century, and was the scene of incessant battles and sieges until 1633 when it was dismantled on the orders of Richelieu.
The ruins give a good idea of the layout of the castle. The outer wall was more than 250m (~800 ft) long, 10m (~33 ft) high and 2.1m (~7 ft) thick. The castle was dominated by a natural rock keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
more than 50m (~163 ft) high, only accessible from a round tower attached to it.
The Château de Peyrelade is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron who have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as La Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue. Château de Peyrelade is open to visitors from mid-June to mid-September.
External links
- Tourist office website with photo
- Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue website, with photos
- Peyrelade entry on the Ministry of Culture website
Sources
- www.culture.gouv.fr, accessed 30 Jan 2007