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Founded: 12th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)
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The Château de Gicon is a medieval fortress built between the 12th and 13th centuries, located in the commune of Chusclan. The Gicon farm, located at the base of the hill, sits at around 160 meters altitude. From there, a trail leads up to the castle, passing by the Sainte-Madeleine chapel. It can also be reached via a forest road from Vénéjan.
Archaeologists believe the castle was built on the site of a Celtic oppidum, evidenced by the northeast, north, and west walls of Celtic origin, which form a terrace base. A Roman-era paved road was also discovered.
In 1156, King Louis VII of France donated several castles and estates to the bishopric of Uzès, including Château de Gicon. This donation was confirmed in 1211 by Philip II Augustus. In 1229, following the Treaty of Meaux-Paris, which ended the Albigensian Crusade, the domain of Gicon was annexed to the Kingdom of France.
The donjon (main tower) is believed to have been constructed between 1200 and 1260. Louis IX reportedly stopped at the castle in the spring of 1270 before his final crusade. In 1312, King Philip IV (Philip the Fair) granted the lordship of Gicon to Guilhem de Saint Just, with permission to build a fortified house, as the Rhône Valley then marked a frontier.
In 1631, the donjon was destroyed by order of Louis XIII. The castle fell into further ruin after the last lords died in 1684, and it was used as a stone quarry. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, most maps — such as the Cassini map — either referred to the site simply as 'Gicon' or showed only ruins.
In 1973, local winemakers purchased the fortress to restore it. Renovation began in 1987. Since 1990, the association Les Amis de Gicon et du patrimoine de Chusclan has overseen its preservation. A visitor trail was established in 2009.
The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.
The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.
Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.