The Lords of Sommières

The history of the castle began in the 11th century

This is when it was first mentioned. There is no current evidence showing that there had been previous presence, even though Celts occupied the neighbouring hill (the commune of Villevieille today) in the period BC.

The lords of Anduze and Sauve, vassals of the Count of Toulouse, had powerful positions in this part of the Languedoc in the 11th and 12th centuries. One of them, Bermond de Sommières, had control of the town, the strategic routes and access to the bridge. A mint was even set up. In the 13th century, the castle became the symbol of seigneurial power, dominating the town and its population.

In the 11th century, the fief was organised in joint seigneuries, a system resulting from heritage practices in the South of France. The Bermond tower that now dominates the town dates from the end of the 12th/beginning of the 13th century. Bermond VII was then lord of Sommières. There were certainly dwellings at the fortress site but no archaeological information has yet been found to locate such buildings.