Photo : Emeraude / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Château de Dio
The history of the château de Dio goes back to Visigothic times, when, in 533, King Theudebert of Austrasia plundered a "castrum", a Visigothic fortress on the very site of the château.
The construction of the new château, however, began in the twelfth century, in the full Romanesque period, and many remains still present date from that distant era. The château was initially the property of the lords of Boussagues. Left abandoned over time, the château became the property of the Fleury family, who would remain lords of Dio until the nineteenth century. The Fleury family gradually transformed the château into a pleasure residence, and its definitive appearance dates from that time.
After the Revolution, the château knew an eventful history and passed into the hands of several owners who left it abandoned. It was only in recent years that restoration works were finally carried out by the new owners, the Caisse des Monuments Historiques and an association that now works for the complete restoration of this marvellous site.
