The site is situated on the municipality of Prunières.
This village was the centre of Apcher's baronnie which occupied the North Gévaudan between the rivers of Bès and Truyère. There is a castle only ruins to be loosened(kicked away), a Romanic chapel of the XIII-th century classified ancient memorial and a square tower, maybe a donjon of the castle, too classified.
The association " The Friends of Apcher's site " built up itself to begin the development of the site. Archaeological searches(excavations) were made. Seen the dimension presumed the castle, the development of the site is going to ask for a lot of means.
The establishment of a castle to Apcher is not a fate. This site is naturally defended(forbidden) from sides the North and is, it dominates all the surrounding country and since the tower one discovers an incomparable panorama which allows to watch Margeride since Saint-Flour until Fortunio's trick(thing), roads coming from the North and from the South (current N9), as well as western.
One can not clarify the origin of Apcher's baronnie, the first of the baronnies eight of Gévaudan. According to the legend, the name and the weapons would result from carpenter's profession or fustier which would have exercised the founder of the dynasty before his grandfather, King de Hongri, bought Gévaudan to share him(it) among his seven children.
The family was certainly installed(settled) to Apcher near the year one thousand, time in whom(which) would have been built the tower. In 1145, the heir marries a member of Chateauneuf-Randon's family. This name, followed successively by titles of baron, count, marquees, will be carried(worn) until XIX-th century.
Certain barons of Apcher remained famous :
- In 1362, Guérin VII commanded(ordered) Saint-Chély's houses which mirror in crushing defeat the English long-distance lorry drivers,
- In 1766-67, the Marquees of apcher begins beats to pursue " the Animal of Gévaudan ".
At all the moments of the history of France, one finds them next to Kings and big Lords; they take part in the wars of religion and the various bloody those of Peyre set them to the other barons of Gévaudan, in particular.
For all information, please , contact the Office of Saint-Chély-d'Apcher.'s tourism
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