Castle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The Castle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a château located in the town of the same name in southeastern France. Its presence has dominated the landscape around the village and its renowned vineyards for more than 800 years.

The Castle of Châteauneuf was probably originally a Roman castrum destroyed during the great invasions. A 913 charter referred to the castellum de Leri.

It also appeared under the name castellum de Leri in a 913 charter signed by Louis the Blind which ceded the site to Foulques, bishop of Avignon. The castrum on the hill was replaced with new construction by the Count of Toulouse, the overlord of the comté of Provence. The first mention of a Castro Novo (new fortified village), which led to the name Châteauneuf, did not appear until 1048. It fell to Godefredus Lauger, Bishop of Avignon, and his successors, through an 1157 charter in which the emperor Barbarossa mentioned the presence of a vineyard. In 1077 Rostaing, his successor, deeded the fief to Pierre d'Albaron, who built a keep there. Throughout the Middle Ages, the old château was a watchtower and a toll gate on the Rhône that passed to various families allied to the house of Albaron. Only a tower remained in 1146, and by 1283 it was already being referred to as "the old tower".

It became the Château de l'Hers after it was enlarged in the 12th century, and it was renovated for the first time in the 13th. Some historians say the Knights Templar used it in the 12th century, but this legend was put to rest by 20th-century historians.

Châteauneuf, like Bédarrides or Gigognan, had a special status in the Comtat Venaissin when the Antipopes came to Avignon. Its high and low justices didn't fall under the Recteur du Comtat but instead under the bishop of Avignon. Its three parishes were said to be In Comitatu et non-de Comitatu Pope Clement V visited 5 April 1314 before he crossed the Rhône to join Roquemaure, about fifteen days before he died.

Jacques d'Euze, previously the bishop of Avignon, was elected pope in 1316 and took the name John XXII. Châteauneuf fell directly under his authority. He had been Pope barely three months when he commissioned construction work at l'Hers. The accounts of the Apostolic Camera indicate that he allocated 3000 florins to the restoration of the 12-century château.

Then in 1317 he decided to build a new château above the village. It was finished in 1333.

Text adapted from “Castle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Castle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape ranks #3,291 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #251 of the 469 mapped in France. Founded 1333, it is older than 60% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 582 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,346 times in the last 60 days, more than 56% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Marseille, 95 km away. See how France compares in the castle statistics.

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