Castellas

Implanté sur un promontoire, le château fort domine la plaine de 130 mètres environ. C'est l'édifice militaire médiéval le plus important du Var. Visible de l'extérieur et de loin uniquement (risque d'effondrement)

The summit of the hill is entirely surrounded by a perimeter wall enclosing the castle and the village; a deep ditch (dry moat) completes the defensive system. Built in the 13th century and extensively remodeled in the 15th century, it was definitively abandoned during the 17th century. In the interim, the seigneury remained in the Agoult family for 320 years, then became the military stronghold of Hubert de Vins, leader of the Catholic party, who was being persecuted by the Protestants. In 1621, the Marquis de Vins abandoned the fortress. The castle passed to the Pontevès family through a marriage alliance in 1781. In the early 1900s, the last of the Pontevès family sold the castle to a wealthy merchant, Monsieur Dhorsner. The castle was then used as a stone quarry. In 1978, Monsieur Borg, the next owner, ceded the Castellas hill to the municipality for the symbolic sum of one franc. The castle was then listed as a historical monument.

The castle (privately owned), now in ruins, is only visible from the outside at the bottom of the access road, on the esplanade leading from the forest path. Approaching it is dangerous due to the risk of collapse.