Château de Pampelonne

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de Pampelonne stands halfway up the slope of the Berguïse mountain, on an isolated natural terrace in a forested setting, between the hamlets of Saint-Martin-le-Supérieur and Saint-Martin-l'Inférieur, in the commune of Saint-Martin-sur-Lavezon in the Ardèche. One of the oldest manor houses of the Vivarais, the site is mentioned as early as the 8th century and a fortress existed there before the First Crusade; at the end of the 11th century, a certain Jean de Pampelonne resided there. The estate belonged to the counts of Toulouse and then to the counts of Valentinois, before Aymar IV of Poitiers granted it in 1299 to Astorg de Geis as a reward for military service. The lordship remained in the house of Geis until 1540, when it passed by marriage to the Guyon family. In 1620, the château was set on fire by the Huguenots; it was nevertheless spared during the siege of Privas because of its lords' loyalty to the king. The present building, raised in the first quarter of the 17th century, was restored during the first half of the 19th century. Its towers, beheaded during the Revolution, were never fully rebuilt, with the exception of a corner turret to the north-east. Since 1873, the château has belonged to the de Grille d'Estoublon family. Its façades, roofs, as well as several salons and the library on the first floor have been listed as historic monuments since 22 December 1981. A private property, it now offers holiday cottage rentals.