Aujac Castle will soon become a historical documentation center in the heart of the Cévennes

Augusta Rigal, grand-mère de l'actuelle propriétaire, est celle qui a permis au château de trouver son public. DR

En plus d'accueillir le grand public, le monument du nord du Gard compte partager tous les ouvrages qu'il conserve sur l'histoire du massif et de ses habitants. 

This new space will take the name Augusta Rigal. Name borne by the grandmother of Marlène Léautier, current owner of the Château du Cheylard d'Aujac, at the top of the Cévennes. "It was she who opened the castle to the general public for the first time", recalls her descendant. 

Since 1961 precisely, the monument has been visited to the delight of passers-by and history buffs. 63 years later, Marlène Léautier, accompanied by the couple of historians (and friends) Soline and Nicolas Anthore-Baptiste, it aims to become a new center of documentary resources on the centuries that preceded us . 

Pleiad of private documents

"This center project has been carried out for a long time by Marlène and Gilbert(spouse of Marlène Léautier, died in 2018), recalls Soline Anthore-Baptiste. For years, the owners of the place have stored a multitude of books and other documents devoted to modern history, from the Renaissance to the 19th century. "Soline also has 1,500 works on the 18th century and on period costumes that we also wish to make available", adds Nicolas Anthore-Baptiste. All together will form a new space in the square tower of the Aujac castle, "because it is the safest place to store books". Room which will therefore bear the name of Augusta Rigal, "to pay homage to her and place under her aegis", dixit&nbsp ;Soline Anthore-Baptiste.

Also read:The Château d'Aujac, in the Cévennes, will receive €70,000 from Stéphane Bern's Heritage Mission

Accessible to all on request

Once opened, the documentation center will be accessible to researchers and history students as well as to the general public. " Students in Nîmes have access to the university library, but we also have resources here that can greatly help their work", support Nicolas Anthore-Baptiste. He and his partner have been teaching history master classes since last year. The idea is also to "create synergies" with the Cévennes National Park and its documentation center located in Génolhac. Discussions are underway in the hope of a future and fruitful collaboration. 

Official inauguration on April 26

The birth of the Augusta Rigal documentation center is imminent since its official inauguration is planned, in its dedicated space. in the Aujac castle, Friday April 26, 2024. The choice of the date is linked to the presence, on the same day, of representatives ;sentients of the Heritage Foundation, who come to give à Marlène Léautier the 70,000 € promised to help à the renovation of the castle. The building was, at the end of 2023, the only monument in Gard selected in the "Heritage Loto&quot game. port&eac; by host Stéphane Bern. These 70,000 € will be used à consolidate one of the castle's towers, damaged continued à recent bad weather. 

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