Château de Pierregrosse

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de Pierregrosse is located in the commune of Saint-Alban-d'Ay, in the Ardèche, not far from the Château des Rieux, from which it is separated only by the Embrun stream. It owes its name to a huge rock that is said to have served as the foundation for part of the building. The site has been occupied since the 12th century by an early fortified house (maison forte), remodelled in the 15th and 16th centuries to form the present castle, characterised by a concave façade framed by two round towers. A central glazed roof (verrière) was added in the 19th century. In 1577, at the height of the Wars of Religion, the castle was attacked and occupied by a Huguenot garrison commanded by a captain named Bouchet, before being retaken by the governor of Annonay. The lordship then passed to the Deschamp and Romanet families and later to the de la Fayolle de Mars family; at the beginning of the 20th century, the castle belonged to Louis de Mars, married to Marie Vétillard du Ribert. Still inhabited, the Château de Pierregrosse remains private property today and is not open to visitors.