Simiane mysterious rotunda

Did you know in the 15th century, the village was very prosperous, thanks to the Ferry, a family of glass-makers, famous in Provence?

But if we are here, it's because of the famous rotunda... But what's the point of this big tower? A Templar's chapel? Maybe simply the castle!

This rotunda dates back to the 12th or 13th centuries, it's a vestige of the castle, abandoned in the 17th century by the lord of Agoult-Simiane, who lived here since centuries.

This building leans on a tower and a curtain. In the courtyard, we can see the old seigniorial dwelling.

The keep has two storeys: the lower room, which houses the cellar; the upper room was a kind of living-room: look at those sculptures! They look like the sculptures in Sénanque abbey! Well, that's possible, since the lord of Simiane gave plot of lands to the monks who founded this famous abbey!