Getaway in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The château of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the imprint of the popes among the vineyards
Above the vineyards, the château of Châteauneuf-du-Pape bears witness to the link between the Popes of Avignon and one of France’s great wine landscapes.
Pontifical grandeur at the heart of a great vineyard
Of the pontifical château of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, only sections of wall, part of the keep and a façade remain above the village. These ruins still set the tone for the visit: from the cobbled streets, the route climbs to a viewpoint over the vineyards, the Rhône valley and the horizons of the Comtat.
The Popes and the wine village
In the 13th century, Châteauneuf-Calcenier (the village’s original name until the 19th century) belonged to the Bishop of Avignon, and therefore to the Pope when Clement V settled in the Provençal city in 1305. By 1316, his successor John XXII decided to rebuild and fortify the château of Châteauneuf-Calcenier. A true fortress rose, but also a residence where the popes could leave Avignon while keeping the Rhône valley in view.
A fortress ruined by history
The Wars of Religion dealt a harsh blow to the fortress. The village, abandoned by its inhabitants, was seized and burned by Huguenots in March 1563. The château was heavily damaged. Restored by the archbishops of Avignon, it was sold during the Revolution, then dismantled for its stones before being protected as a Historic Monument by the state in 1892. During the Second World War, it served as an observation post and armory for the German army, which blew up the northern façade and two sections of the keep upon retreat in August 1944.
A viewpoint over the Côtes-du-Rhône
From the château, the view opens over the Rhône valley, the Comtat Venaissin, Mont Ventoux and, to the south, the direction of Avignon. The site also tells the story of a wine landscape: the vineyards around the village gave their name to one of France’s earliest AOCs and one of the great appellations of the Rhône valley.
The visit is short, but it gives a clear reading of the place: a village shaped by generations of demanding winegrowers, a horizon of Rhône and Ventoux, and the lasting mark of the Popes of Avignon in the landscapes of Vaucluse.
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