Grignan Château

The castle which dominates the whole town of Grignan was originally a modest building of the late Middle Ages. About the middle of the 16th C it was completely rebuilt by Louis Adhémar, a diplomat and officer, after the collegiate church had already been erected. At the time of the French Revolution a considerable part of the castle had to be pulled down by order of the authorities.

The fixtures which were still available and the remains of the castle were purchased at the turn of the century by a descendant of the Adhémars. The present aspect is largely the result of a thorough but not particularly successful restoration at the beginning of the 20th C.

The castle complex is entered by a gateway flanked by towers. To the south extends a large courtyard adjoining a terrace, with the Church of St-Sauveur which was built about 1660. From here there is an excellent view of Mont Ventoux in the southeast, of the Rhône plain and of the mountains of Viverais in the northwest.

The principal attractions of the interior of the castle include the apartments of the Marquise de Sévigny and several rooms with old furniture (Louis XIII, Louis XV) as well as Gobelins; an "audio-visual" guiding system, with acoustic and lighting effects and projected slides accompanies the visitor.