Forteresse de Saint Vidal

On the territory of a town that now bears his name, the imposing fortress of Saint-Vidal dominates the Borne valley from the height of its thousand years, during which it has witnessed the history of France: The historians of Velay attest to the departure of a Saint-Vidal to the first crusade alongside the spiritual leader Adhémar de Monteil, bishop of Le Puy. He took part in the capture of Antioch with Héracle de Polignac.

The first written traces attributed to the Saint-Vidal family in a testamentary act date from the 13th century, when the Viscount of Polignac entrusted the high seigniorial justice of the fortress to Hugues de La Tour. The latter then took the title of Baron of Saint-Vidal. In the 14th century, Hugon de Saint-Vidal considerably enlarged the fiefs of his House. In the 16th century, following his father, Antoine II de Saint Vidal, governor and seneschal of Velay and Gévaudan, Grand Master of the artillery of France, further reinforced the monument to transform it into a fortress.

Access to the gardens is free