# Castel Merlet

La Malène, Lozère, Occitanie

Castel Merlet stands in La Malène (Lozère), in the Occitanie region of France. No visits are on record for this building.

Above the village of La Malène, overlooking the Tarn gorges, lie the remains of castel Merlet, a château now completely in ruins, of which only the foundations have been uncovered. Its interest lies in its presumed age: archaeologists who excavated the site from 2007 onward consider it the oldest known château in France, dating back to the 6th century. The place is linked to Saint Ilère, bishop of the Gévaudan region at that time, whose legend tells of a Frankish siege lifted after a supernatural event. This is not a furnished or restored château but an archaeological site set above the gorges.

**No visits on record.** No opening hours or ticketing found.

## Where this château is

- 44.302618, 3.321438
- Heritage status : Protection status unknown

## Sources

- Wikidata : https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2941356

---

- fr : https://chateaupedia.com/fr/chateau/castel-merlet
- en : https://chateaupedia.com/en/castle/castel-merlet
- de : https://chateaupedia.com/de/schloss/castel-merlet

Source : Chateaupedia (https://chateaupedia.com), licence ODbL 1.0. Citez la date de vérification.
Une erreur ? https://chateaupedia.com/en/castle/castel-merlet