Villages in the wine growing plain

The village of Arboras, perched on its hillside, has a name that suggests a woodland environment. It was sited in a spot, 250 metres above sea level, where the first foothills of the Larzac plateau begin, still today retaining the overall appearance that it had at the end of the 18th century: a single-street village on the flank of a hill, with a superb panoramic view over all the villages of the plain.

The fortress of Arboras was situated on a major transhumance route, at the point where the Montpeyroux road joined the route, but the fortress was abandoned and has now completely disappeared. It would have had a defensive purpose, standing as it did on a very steep slope. It was demolished in the 16th century, by order of the Estates General of Languedoc, and replaced with a 17th century dwelling which is more of a residential château than a defensive fortress.

Raymond de Palissa, the owner of the château at the time of its refurbishment, decided to build a rectangular dwelling around a square courtyard. The south face has two circular flanking towers with two small turrets on the north side, each of which has a spiral staircase leading to the roof-terrace. This superb dwelling has been declared an Historical Monument since 24 October 1990.

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