History of Loubaresse

The Roman road that wound through the mountains and valleys of Vivarais and the Cévennes was more than just a road. It was a vital artery connecting these two regions, promoting commercial, cultural, and military exchanges. Today it is known as the "Roman road trail," and its remains can still be admired along its course. Its exact route remains a mystery, however, as it has been partly covered by vegetation or altered by human activity over the centuries. It is known to have crossed the villages of Loubaresse, Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier, Le Cheylard, and Thueyts, where sections of paved road and stone bridges can still be seen. The Roman road was used by merchants, travellers, pilgrims, and Roman legions occupying the region. The Roman road trail has become a popular hiking route, offering exceptional panoramas and historical testimony.

Middle Ages
In the 12th century, the landscape of Loubaresse changed radically with the construction of the Loubaresse fortress, which dominated the Ardèche valley. This castle marked the birth of the lordship of Loubaresse, which was under the authority of the Counts of Toulouse. The lords of Loubaresse owed their loyalty and support to the Counts of Toulouse, who protected them and granted them privileges. The lordship of Loubaresse was one of the most powerful in Vivarais. It extended over a vast territory and exercised many feudal rights, such as justice, tax collection, and control of roads and bridges.

The lordship of Loubaresse disappeared during the French Revolution, when noble properties were confiscated and sold. The Loubaresse fortress was built in the 12th century by the La Tour-Saint-Vidal family, who held it until the 14th century. It then passed into the hands of several noble families, who transformed and expanded it over the centuries, notably in the 14th and 16th centuries. The castle was the seat of the lordship of Loubaresse for more than six hundred years. It was sold as national property during the French Revolution and was later converted into a farm. The Loubaresse fortress is a square-plan castle surrounded by four round towers, built of cut stone with thick walls and narrow windows. It has a keep that served as residence and defence, an inner courtyard with stables and kitchens, and ancillary buildings housing servants and soldiers.

List of lords:
12th–13th centuries: The La Tour-Saint-Vidal family, who gave their name to the castle and lordship.
14th century: The Roquefort family, who inherited the castle through marriage and reinforced it to resist English attacks during the Hundred Years' War.
15th–16th centuries: The La Baume family, who acquired the castle by purchase and modernised it by adding Renaissance-style elements.
17th–18th centuries: The Vogüé family, who succeeded the La Baume family through alliance and embellished the castle with touches of classical style.
19th century: The Chambon family, who bought the castle from the Vogüé family and converted it into a farm.

The Abbey of Chambons, located in Borne, was founded in 1152 by Guillaume de Borne, a local lord who wished to create a place of prayer and charity. He was assisted by his sons, who donated lands and properties to the foundation. The Abbey of Chambons was initially a Dalonite abbey, meaning it followed the Rule of Saint Benedict but with greater autonomy. It later joined the Cistercian order, which advocated a more austere and contemplative life, and became affiliated with the Abbey of Sénanque, which sent monks and resources. The abbey was located at the place called Chambons, in the canton of Saint-Étienne-de-Lugdarès. It comprised an abbey church, a cloister, a refectory, a dormitory, an infirmary, a library, cellars, barns, and gardens. It also owned lands, mills, forges, and rights over surrounding villages. The Abbey of Chambons was led by regular abbots elected by the monks, among them Pierre Geofroi, Bernard I Durand, Pierre II de Merle, Pierre III Adhémar, and others.

The Abbey of Chambons reached its peak in the 12th and 13th centuries, when it had about forty monks and a hundred lay brothers working for the abbey. It then declined due to wars, epidemics, looting, and reforms. It was abolished during the French Revolution, and its buildings were destroyed or sold. Today, only the ground plan of the abbey church and its walls remain, showing its Latin cross layout, its three naves, its transept, and its choir. Stones from the abbey can also be found reused in the walls of houses in the village of Chambons. The Abbey of Chambons remains a place full of history and memory, drawing curious visitors and enthusiasts alike.

The village of Loubaresse was fortified in the 14th century because it lay on the Roman road connecting Vivarais to the Cévennes, a route coveted by both the English and the French during the Hundred Years' War. The village was surrounded by walls with two gates and watchtowers, and was further protected by the Loubaresse fortress, which served as a refuge for inhabitants in times of danger. Loubaresse was besieged, plundered, and set on fire several times during the Hundred Years' War, but it resisted bravely. Today, the village still preserves traces of its medieval past, with stone houses, narrow streets, and remnants of its fortifications.

Loubaresse experienced a prosperous period from the 16th to 18th centuries thanks to sheep farming and transhumance, which sustained the village and its surroundings. Nestled in a green setting at the foot of the mountains, Loubaresse was a major centre of sheep breeding. The inhabitants cared for their flocks, which provided wool, meat, and milk. The wool was woven locally or sold to regional manufacturers who made cloth, blankets, and clothing. The meat and milk were processed into local products such as cheese, butter, ham, and sausages.

Every year in spring, the shepherds of Loubaresse took their flocks to the mountains of the Vercors, where they found fresh and abundant grass. The sheep grazed in the alpine pastures during the summer under the supervision of the shepherds and their dogs. In autumn, the shepherds and their flocks returned to Loubaresse along ancestral paths. Sheep farming and transhumance brought wealth and prestige to Loubaresse. The village grew and was embellished with new stone houses featuring slate or tile roofs. The church was enhanced and enlarged, with a magnificent crenellated bell tower dominating the village. Loubaresse's prosperity lasted until the 19th century, when sheep farming declined due to competition, disease, and rural exodus.

The church of Loubaresse, dedicated to Saint Martin, was built in 1845 on the site of an old chapel. It features a magnificent crenellated bell tower, which is in fact the remnant of an old tower behind the village. This tower formed part of the village fortifications erected in the 14th century to protect against English attacks during the Hundred Years' War. The bell tower was constructed with the remains of a watchtower built by the lord of Borne to oversee the Ardèche valley.

The name Borne comes from the granite rock on which the Château de Borne stood, belonging to the Randon family. It was Guillaume de Randon, lord of Borne, who in 1152 donated part of his lands to Dom Amélius, a Cistercian monk who founded the Cistercian Abbey of Chambons on these lands — an institution that became an important spiritual and cultural centre in the region. The Château de Borne stood on this rock, which offered breathtaking views of the Tanargue massif, whose highest point is the Grand Tanargue at 1,511 metres. The Château de Borne was destroyed during the Wars of Religion, and only ruins remain today.