Circulades and Castellas

“Castellas” is an Occitan word: “castel” means ‘château’ and the suffix “-as” means ‘large’ or ‘imposing’.

In medieval times, when fortified towns were being developed, the castellas of Aumelas and Montpeyroux were truly models of their kind. They point to the importance of the power of the minor aristocracy, the Seigneurs, in the 12th century and they are the last remaining traces of a time that had a very strong influence on the villages in our area.

Even today they still dominate the plains and causses (plateaus) that surround them and, though they may sleep, they keep one watchful eye on their domains. They are still standing despite the ravages of time and are the first thing that you see from a distance, just as they have been for a thousand years.