Just 15 km from Sisteron, Châteaufort seems timeless, set in a remarkable natural setting – the Hautes Terres de Provence with its long geological history.
To reach Châteaufort, you’ll take a small road cut into sedimentary rock, which seems to have been planted as a singular backdrop. You’ll then come to a peaceful village that looks like the end of the world. Yet Châteaufort was once very busy, as it was located on the paths leading to the transhumance lands. In the Middle Ages, around the 11th century, its lords boldly built their castle on a rocky spur. It dominated the Sasse valley and was part of the optical network of the Hautes-Terres de Provence. Today’s church is dedicated to Saint-Laurent, and preserves several relics. The first church was dedicated to St-Jacques, which testifies to the village’s position on the great road to Santiago de Compostela, which, from the Durance valley, takes up the ancient via domitia.
