Château de Gréolières was mentioned first time in 1047 when it belonged to the Viscounts of Nice. Counts of Provence decided at the end of the 12th century to enforce eastern part of Provence against the influence of the Republic of Genoa and local nobility. To control the area of Gréolières, the Count of Provence built the new castle around 1220.
In 1235 Count of Provence gave the castle to Romée de Villeneuve. The castle remained in the hands of his descendants, the lords of Villeneuve-Vence, until the French Revolution. The castle and the village were plundered in 1385 during the clashes between Charles de Duras and Louis II of Anjou.
During the Wars of Religion, in 1574, the castle was attacked by Huguenots and again in 1590 by Duke of Savoy. The castle was restored in the early 17th century, but bombed again during the War of Austrian Succession in 1747 by the Austro-Sardinian troops.
References:The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.