Visit of the old center

The Old Center

A prosperous town from the Middle Ages, build around its castles and town houses, BARJAC is perfectly situated between the Cèze and the Ardèchen Aubenas and Pont Saint esprti, in a region of Avens and caves, for example the one of Chauvet which has recently been discovered. The foothills of the Cévennes are very nearby.

Barjac is also place to meat several civilizations with a history inscribed in the ground and the stones.

The "dolmens" and the little houses of stone surround the remains and show the roman presence of which Barjac owns its name.

While visiting the historical center of Barjac, you can discover several hikings tracks, of paving-stone nowadays, the town houses in a Renaissance style and the castles from the Middle Ages.

You'll be overwhelmed by many uncommon architectural elements at the turn of a street, at a facade...

1- Town house DUFOUR

This tower from sixteen century looks out over several levels of the hotel, situated on " rue de Salavas", is part of eight towers nowadays in the old center of Barjac. It's remarkable by the quality of its architecture and especially the sculptured windows, well shown at the first level

2 - The "Renaissance tower"

Situated on the old main square of the town, its likely build in the sixteenth century. It's a design wich is one of the jewels of the architecture of Barjac.

3 - The "Donjon" of the Castle

This design from the twelfth century has protected the central part of the town and likely the access tol the old castle which has disappeared sine then. Nowadays you can still see signs of the warlike history of this place. You can also see the village clock fom the top of the building wich was build in 1649.

4- The porch of Vergeyras

On the actual square "de la liberté" you'll find at the right side of the post office the old porch of the house of Vergeyras, build in the sixteenth century. In the courtyard you can see the presence of gargoyle.

5 - The chapel of the convent "des Capucins"

Build during the second half of seventeenth century, this building is connected to the arrival of the missionary Capucins at Barjac in 1633. The monastery adjoining has been transformed to a common house in the nineteenth century.

6 - The low door of the town

This entry has served as acces to the town since the fourteenth century. It faces "Rue Droite" which crosses Barjac. This thoroughfare has been the most important commercial street of the town for more than 500 years since the end of the fourteenth century.

7 - The castle of the counts of "Roure"

This impressive building, build between 1634 and 1639 by Jacques de Grimoard de Beauvoir du Roure and his son, has a style from the end of Renaissance.

The door, build in that century and faces the actual entry of the cinema, is build in a pure style of Louis XIII. 

You can see the great number of windows that let the sunshine in and gives the building a clearness on the inside which wasn(t very comon in these days.

8 - The town hall and the covered market

The town hall exists at this place since 1647, date of its construction at the covered market. It has been changed extremely in the middle of the nineteth century. The covered market was the central point of Barjac where until the middle of the nineteth century the markets and fais were held who made this place famous.

9 - The church Saint Laurent.

Stardted in the middle of the seventeenth century, it wasn't finished until in 1689, the epoch where it replaced an other church, Saint Laurent de Malhac, which is situated "outside the walls of the deown". The building has been enlarged in 1862 because of the great increase of the population which has grown from 1 500 to 2 600 inhabitants in 60 years.

10 - The house of Combier

This building, from which is only the principal porch visible, has been build during the first years of the seventeenth century.

it has welcomed from 5 until 6 June 1629 Louis XIII, King of France, who passed Barjac on his way to Alès where he signed a few weeks later "the Edict of Grace or Peace of Alais".