Marsillargues
The village of Marsillargues was first mentioned in 1112.
Initially attached to the seigneury of Lunel, it was later erected into a seigneury by Philippe le Bel in 1295 and given to Guillaume de Nogaret as a reward for services rendered.
In the 14th century, the village was surrounded by a wall.
With the exception of certain parts of the château, the village has preserved no traces of its medieval architecture or enclosure.
A heritage trail
As you stroll through this typically Mediterranean village, you'll discover the château, with its remarkable Renaissance façade - one of the finest examples of this style in the south of France - the Paul Pastre Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Reformed Church temple, the Pont Boulet, the beautiful Marcel Guillarmet-listed Arènes and numerous stone houses linked to the town's winegrowing past...
The castle
All that remains of the château, built by Guillaume de Nogaret in 1305, is part of the basement, the large kitchens and the keep with its square turret.
Around 1560, the Marquis de Calvisson undertook the construction of a new château. The modern facade is a jewel of Lower Languedoc Renaissance architecture.
The decoration is rich: military trophies celebrating the exploits of the owners, royal emblems paying tribute to royal power (Salamander of François I, porcupine of Louis XII, moon and monogram of Diane de Poitiers), fruit garlands...
A symmetrical south wing was built in 1679. Housing the stables, it features a facade virtually identical to the first. However, the representations were more warlike and the emblems of Louis XIV proliferated.
The orangery, which today houses the municipal library, was built in 1767.
At the time, a vast park extended from the main courtyard.
After the château burned down in 1936, the town council bought it back in 1948.
The Paul Pastre Museum
This is a museum of popular art and traditions: viticulture, Camargue traditions, trades of yesteryear, various objects (Gallo-Roman, hairstyles, clothes, coins, old tools, château furniture)...
Official website of the Town Hall: www.marsillargues.fr
Brochure: A Renaissance jewel in Marsillargues