Château de Simiane-la-Rotonde, Simiane-la-Rotonde, France

Simiane-la-Rotonde has remained practically unchanged for centuries. On the hilltop stands the truncated cone-shaped edifice that gave Simiane-la-Rotonde its name: the keep, or rotunda, of the old Château des Simiane-Agoult. Built in the 12th century, its massive exterior is remarkable for its hexagonal shape. The interior, an uneven dodecagon, is especially splendid. It is a vast room with a series of arches topped by finely sculpted capitals. The ceiling has a stone cupola of 12 ribbed vaults towering five metres high. It is an amazing example of Romanesque architecture, both civil and military.

The southern wing of the castle has also been restored and you can visit parts of the main building and the fortifications. The rooms on the ground floor date from the Middle Ages and recount the castle's history. The upper floor, in Renaissance style, houses the Sainte Victoire Aromatherapy Laboratory, which offers workshops in essential oils to the public.The castle is also the magical setting for exhibitions and the international festival of early music Les Riches Heures Musicales de la Rotonde in August.

References:

avignon-et-provence.com

User Reviews

Frans Diederik (13 months ago)
Lovely medieval town and an extremely interesting round 'Hall'

romain roux (14 months ago)
The visit of the castle is 5.5 euros per person. Not worth it at all. 2 nearly empty rooms and the rotonde. Done in 20 minutes.

Graham Reynolds (2 years ago)
This a beautiful location, allow half a day, lots of up hill, very tranquil and classic buildings of the area, small “castle” at the top with a €5 entry. Worth a visit

Lars Rohman (3 years ago)
Beautiful middle age village

Chris Brown (6 years ago)
Lovely little village nestled on side of hill. Old worldly. Castle at top is worth a visit but take student cards etc for discount as a smidge pricey (but hey, it's a tourist spot). One room has lavender oils etc in it if you are into that. You can buy lavender stuff too and fantastically high prices. Views from castle are staggeringly pretty. Well worth a visit.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Château de Simiane-la-Rotonde

Address

Details

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche