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The dungeon

A symbol of the site's military function, the keep is the tallest fortified building in a castle. Serving as an observation post and ultimate refuge, it could also be the lord's residence.

The primitive dungeon of the 13th^e century in which visitors are welcomed today, is a 12m high construction which was originally lit only by narrow openings called day slits.

The rampart walk

This structure, 1,5 meters thick, stretches for 160 meters. The wall-walk connects the upper part of the keep to the curtain wall, which closes in on the chapel visible below. Today, only the section running from east to south is accessible.

From the ramparts, soldiers could monitor both the interior and exterior of the building. One of their important missions was to raise the alarm in the event of a fire. At the end of the 18th century, the ramparts were raised when Montélimar Castle was converted into a prison.

The utility tower

This tower was built a few decades after the main house in the 13th century. This building provided important amenities: a kitchen, above which a lord's bedroom and latrines.

An internal communication access exists on each floor of both buildings. External access was via the door on the ground floor South or by stairs or wooden ladders for the upper levels.

The farmyard

The lower courtyard, or bailey, is the area enclosed by the castle walls and occupied by the peasants working at the castle. It is distinct from the upper courtyard, reserved for the lord and his court. It served as a refuge for the local population and their livestock, whom the lord was obligated to protect.

It includes outbuildings: dwellings, stables, forges and other workshops. No trace of these buildings, often constructed of wood, has been found.

Today, recent constructions are breathing new life into the area.

The Simple Garden

The term "simples" refers to the simple herbs or plants used since antiquity for their medicinal properties. Described as such in contrast to complex potions, their long history is closely linked to that of monks and their practice of medicine.

Aromatic and culinary plants, most of which also have therapeutic properties, are associated with it. Vegetable gardens, ornamental gardens for religious services, dye plant gardens, and orchards are often found nearby.

The Saint Peter Chapel

Built in the 11th^e dating from the 19th century and open to the city by direct access, the Saint-Pierre chapel is the oldest building established on the top of the "little hill".

The church measures nearly 22m long by about 8m wide on average with a height of about 10m.

• The charter In 1198, Géraud Adhémar and his brother Lambert, co-lords of Montélimar, signed a charter that moderated the taxes levied on the inhabitants. The charter was sealed in the Sainte-Croix church, above the holy water font, in full view of all.
  The large lead seals were removed, perhaps during the French Revolution. The red used to highlight the initial letters of the words was retained, unlike the azure of the other letters, which were blackened, and the gold may have been restored at the same time as the lead. These three colors are noted by 17th-century scholars.^e  century.