Photo : Mathieu BROSSAIS / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Saint-Montan
Saint-Montan is a village in the south of the Ardèche, on the right bank of the Rhône, between Montélimar and Pont-Saint-Esprit. It takes its name from a fifth-century hermit, Montanus. Its historic heart consists of a feudal castle and a fortified town built on a limestone spur, amid hills of scree and garrigue. The houses are built of local limestone.
The village has several religious buildings, including three churches: San Samonta, Sainte-Marie-Madeleine and the chapel of Saint-André de Mitroys. Its history is marked by the wars of religion: it was occupied in 1570 by the army of Gaspard de Coligny, then suffered banditry until 1586. Partly abandoned, the medieval quarter has been restored since 1971 by the Amis de Saint-Montan association. The commune has about 2,000 inhabitants and keeps one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in the département.
