Château d'Ars

About

The château d'Ars is an ancient 13th-century fortress situated in the commune of Avignon and in the department of Isère and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The site is labeled Heritage in Isère.

Situation: The castle is located in the French department of Isère on the commune of Avignonet, overlooking the Drac.

History: The origins of this castle are not exactly known. Its owners held in the 17th century, the seigneuries of Ars and Avignonet until they were sold to the Denantes family, who settled permanently at the Château d'Avignonet in the early 18th century. In 1961, the site was purchased by EDF during the construction of the Monteynard-Avignonet dam and its demolition was planned several times for security reasons. The building was abandoned and deteriorated until in April 2000, the association "Sauvons le château d'Ars" was created with the aim of preventing the destruction of the castle and freezing it, in order to enhance its site by integrating it into a hiking circuit. Much of the roofing, however, collapsed during the winter of 2005-2006. In June 2007, the site is acquired by the Community of...