The Château des Guilhem is a medieval

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in the town of

Clermont-l'Hérault Clermont-l'Hérault (; oc, Clarmont d'Erau) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. Geography Chief town of the Canton, Clermont-l'Hérault is located about 40 km west of Montpellier, halfway between the Mediterrane ...

in the

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...

'' of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

History

Built for the Guilhems, lords of Clermont-l’Hérault, at the end of the 11th and beginning of the 12th centuries, the castle stands on Puech Castel hill, overlooking the town and surrounding country. The strategic site permitted control of the

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.Bédarieux Bédarieux (; oc, Bedarius) is a town and commune in the Hérault department in the region of Occitanie in southern France. The town is surrounded by the Espinouse mountain and Orb river, and is in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park. The in ...

and the higher cantons, as well as the feudal town which was itself fortified soon after the castle was built. There is some evidence that earlier buildings existed.Château des Guilhems
at decouverte34 After a number of troubled periods when the castle provided shelter for the local population, it was slowly abandoned from the 16th century. Owing to its largely abandoned state, it escaped the widespread destruction of castles by

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

. However, its abandonment and the ravages of time have caused serious deterioration: the only remnants are the fortifications, two vaulted halls and the Guilhem Tower (''tour Guilhem'') which still stands above the town. There is a grand panorama of the Hérault plain. The castle has been listed as a ''

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

'' by the French Ministry of Culture since 1927 and received some preservation works in 2007. The castle site is open daily to visitors, though access to the tower is not possible. On 1 October 2009, the castle was closed due to a risk of falling stones. It was reopened on 12 August 2013."Clermont l'Hérault : réouverture du château au public"
''Midi-libre'', 12 August 2013.

References

External links

*
Article and picture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guilhem, Chateau Des Ruined castles in Occitania (administrative region) Castles in Hérault Monuments historiques of Hérault

History

See also

References

External links