En un regard
Le château en bref
The Castellaras de Thorenc is a medieval fortified site standing on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of around 1,400 metres, in the commune of Andon. Built on a former Celto-Ligurian oppidum, at the junction of old communication routes, the site is first mentioned in 1200 under the name "castrum de Thorenc". A text of 1263 records eighteen hearths there, a sign of a clustered settlement at the foot of the fortifications. The complex comprises a main building known as the Château, a second rectangular building interpreted as a stable or sheepfold, a cistern, and a Romanesque chapel of the 12th century. The walls, more than five metres high, date for the most part from the 14th century. The hamlet was destroyed in 1391 during the struggles between the successors of Queen Joan of Naples, causing the gradual abandonment of the site in favour of the neighbouring Lane valley. The 1837 land register still mentions the ruins of a church, a château and a chapel over an area of 135 hectares. The economy of the site rested essentially on pastoralism, some nearby caves having probably served as sheepfolds. Owned by the commune, the Castellaras de Thorenc has been listed as a historic monument since 28 March 1991, protecting its location, its ruins and its buried archaeological remains.
