Saint-Julien-d'Arpaon Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Perched on a rocky spur above the hamlet of Saint-Julien-d'Arpaon and the Mimente valley, in the commune of Cans-et-Cévennes (Lozère), the ruins of this castle, sometimes called Montcalm Castle, are among the most evocative castle remains in the Lozère Cévennes. Recorded from the 13th century as a possession of the lords of Anduze, then masters of the barony of Florac, it later passed to the Gabriac family, under whom it was dismantled in 1618. Inherited in the 18th century by the Montcalm family, originally from the Rouergue, who carried out restorations, it was later abandoned and used as a stone quarry for the hamlet's houses. Several round arches, a bartizan and a large low hall under a pointed arch survive; a dovecote was later built inside the shell of the building. The site is freely accessible, but great care is needed: do not climb the walls, as stones may fall.