Château de Cruas (Château des Moines)

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château des Moines, also known as the Château de Cruas, overlooks the medieval village of Cruas in the Ardèche, on the banks of the Rhône. It originated in the Benedictine abbey founded in 804. An annex chapel was built in the 11th century, followed in the 12th century by an oratory and then the large Romanesque chapel. In the 13th century, the monks settled at the top of the hill and had ramparts built; in the 14th century, the chapel was converted into a keep equipped with corner turrets, bretèches and machicolations. The site served as a refuge for the monks during troubled times, notably during the Wars of Religion (1574, 1585) and against the troops of Rohan in 1628. The monastery was suppressed in 1741 by the Bishop of Viviers. Owned by the commune of Cruas, the complex is the subject of a long-term restoration programme.