Castillon-du-Gard

Castillon du Gard is a medieval village located at the southern end of the Gorges du Gardon, only 4 km from the Pont du Gard. The village is built on a small advanced plateau (at an altitude of 90 metres) overlooking the Gardon valley planted with vines and cherry trees. The view leads to the Pont-du-Gard, from which the arches set in the scrubland can be seen in the distance. Castillon is located a little off the roads that go to Uzès in the west and Bagnols-sur-Cèze in the north, it is a peaceful and quiet village, more active during the tourist season.

Outside the village, to the northwest, there was a beautiful Roman villa whose remains are still visible, it was the centre of an important agricultural property where reason and olives were pressed. Castillon takes its name from the castle that was built here, a defensive structure protecting the population. In the Middle Ages the village called "Castrum de Castelione" was owned by the Bishop of Uzès. A village consul was appointed by the bishop. The religious wars were catastrophic for Castillon: the village was taken over by the Protestants in 1568, then taken over by the Catholic party two years later. The Protestants of Uzès seized it again in 1575 and their opponents finally took it back in 1580, after which Castillon was badly damaged.

Today, however, Castillon is for visitors a very beautiful medieval village, one of the most beautiful in the Gard department. The Façades were beautifully restored in the 1970s. Around the central square decorated with two century-old olive trees, at the bend of the narrow cobbled streets, there are remains of ramparts, mullioned windows, buttresses, gargoyles and fountains. The church of St. Christopher is more recent, dating from the 19th century. Outside the village are the Chapel of St. Christopher (to the south-east), the Romanesque Chapel of St. Caprais (to the north-west), an ancient place of pilgrimage, and the ruins of a leper colony, a place where leprosy patients were isolated.

Accommodation and practical informations

Find a guest house near the Pont du Gard amongst b&b's of Provence

Castillon-du-Gard official website : www.castillondugard.fr

Sights and activities :

• Medieval village superbly restored
• Romanesque chapels Saint-Caprais from the 12th century and Saint-Christophe from the 13th century (ruined)
• Remains of a villa of Gallo-Roman origin, occupied until the Middle Ages. They are located 500 metres north of the village near the Saint-Caprais chapel.
• Ruins of a semi-troglodyte leprosarium near the chapel of St. Christopher
• Lavoir, located 500 meters south of the village.
• Windmill, built in 1719, renovated in 2015.
• Votive festival on the last Sunday of July
• More than 300 km of hiking trails criss-cross the region. The GR 63 passes through Castillon-du-Gard and leads to the Pont-du-Gard (4 km) and to the swimming spots in the Gardon.
• Provencal market on Tuesday mornings from 8am to 1pm, place du 8 mai 1945. It is held from April to September.

Coming to Castillon-du-Gard

GPS coordinates N 43°58'13'' - E 4°33'16''

The village of Castillon-du-Gard is located in the department of Gard, near the Pont du Gard and the town Remoulins.

Location : altitude 92 metres, 950 inhabitants, 3 km from Vers-Pont-du-Gard, 3 km from Pont du Gard, 11 km from Collias, 16 km from Uzès, 26 km from Avignon, 30 km from Nîmes,