A little history of Villevieille castle

Did you know saint Louis sojourned here in 1270, just before his boarding for the 8th crusade?

In the 11th century, the castle belonged to the Bermond d'Anduze family, who gave their name to the "Bermond tower", the keep.

One member of this family was a Cathar, so the castle was besieged and plundered by Royal troops, who seized it in 1248.

King Philip the Fair sold the land in 1310, owned in 1368 by a rich merchant from Nîmes, Pierre Scatisse. This one extended the castle with 3 rectangular towers, then Bernard Pavée bought the estate in 1527: at that time, a Renaissance building was raised in the courtyard.

In the 16th century wars of Religion came... the neighbouring city of Sommières housed a real Protestant bastion.

Our castle was many time besieged by this last one, especially by duke of Montmorency in 1576, who burnt the south-east wing (rebuilt in the 17th century).

Marquis de Pavée asked architect Cubissol, from Nîmes, to refit out apartments and rebuilt the damaged wing, between 1660 and 1680.

Then, in the 18th century, marquis de Villevieille raised a small chapel, deep in the courtyard, on the location of an old hen-house. It was designed by an artist called Girault, nicknamed La Douceur.