Discover this major site

an unforgettable visit. Immerse yourself in the Middle Ages.
Hear, hear, good folks! A new life begins for Luc Castle. Come to admire and support its successful restoration.

History of a Castle overlooking the Allier Valley

Overlooking the village, offering a remarkable view of the Allier Valley and the Massif of Tanargue, the ruins of the castle catch the eyes of passing walkers.

History of the Castle

Built before the 12th century on a Celtic site, at the foot of the Mercoire Forest, the castle used to be one of the most important ones in the region. Its ‘opus spicatum’ (or ‘ear of corn’) architecture is remarkable. It was extended during its many alliances, and however bad the current degradations may be, it still shows signs of having been an imposing military fortress. Guardian of the Voie Régordane (the main axis between the South and the Auvergne, often followed by the Saint Gilles pilgrims), Luc Castle was a strategic point between the Gévaudan and Vivarais provinces. Up to the 13th century, it was home to a major barony belonging to the Luc family. Then, depending on various alliances, it became the privilege of the most illustrious families of the region: d’Anduze, de Randon, de Polignac, de Moras, de Merle and de Périer.

During the Hundred Years’ War, it was attacked several times without ever being besieged. In the 16th century, the Wars of Religion led the Gévaudan States to set up "cavalry and infantry garrisons at Luc Castle" on several occasions. These seem to have been dismantled by order of Richelieu, around 1630. The Revolution and its abolition of feudal law, but also the harshness of the weather and the action of time, brought the castle to its present state of damage.

Two major events took place in the 19th century. In 1878, the Luc parishioners converted the dungeon into a chapel and erected a statue of the Virgin on the terrace. At the same period, a Scotsman named Robert Louis Stevenson and his donkey start off on their Travel through the Cévennes. They pass through Luc and, from then on, there will be no further mention of the castle and of its rich historical past.