Der Klassiker-Spezialist Jo de Roo machte sich 1966 zu seinem 29. Geburtstag in Aubenas mit seinem dritten und letzten Etappensieg bei der Tour ein schönes Geschenk. An dem Tag schlug er Lucien Aimar, der auf seinen Moment wartete, um das Gelbe Trikot zu übernehmen und diese Auflage der Tour de France zu gewinnen. Zwei Jahre später krönte sich derselbe Aimar in Aubenas mit dem Titel des französischen Straßenradmeisters. In der Folge gewann Mark Cavendish in der Stadt in der Ardèche die 19. Etappe der Tour de France 2009 und holte sich damit seinen fünften Tagessieg bei dieser Auflage – zwei Tage vor dem sechsten Etappensieg, der sein erster auf den Champs-Élysées war.
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Aubenas and cycling
A classics specialist, Jo de Roo treated himself to a fine present on his 29th birthday by securing his third and final Tour stage victory in Aubenas. On that day, he finished ahead of Lucien Aimar, who was biding his time to claim the Yellow Jersey and win the 1966 edition of the Tour de France. Two years later, the same Aimar donned the blue, white and red jersey for the French National Championships held in Aubenas. The town in Ardeche then saw Mark Cavendish win the 19th stage of the 2009 Tour de France – his fifth victory in that edition – two days before his first win on the Champs-Élysées.
But it is the Criterium du Dauphiné (now Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) that has visited the Ardeche sub-prefecture most frequently, notably in 2014, when the late Nicolas Portal secured his only individual victory as a professional here.
In 2019, Marianne Vos won a stage there in the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.
Sights
Aubenas Castle
Built: 13th to 18th centuries.
Style: fortified castle.
History: from the 12th century until the Revolution, six noble families succeeded one another. The Montlaur family ruled from 1084 to 1441, building the keep, the curtain wall and the castle’s two round towers, whilst the castle was still surrounded by moats. The castle then passed into the hands of the Maubec family until 1551, followed by the Modène family and then the Ornano family until 1665, and finally the Harcourt-Lorraine family, who bequeathed it in 1716 to the Vogüé family, who retained ownership until 1792. The building became the property of the town of Aubenas in 1810. Following seven years of renovation, the castle has been welcoming visitors since July 2024 as the Centre for Contemporary Art and Heritage
Characteristics: the 12th-century keep dominates the château. This tall quadrilateral structure is 26.50-metres high, with sides measuring 7 metres, and its walls are 2-metres thick. It is flanked at each corner by watchtowers with domed roofs. The curtain wall, reinforced with machicolations, is thought to have been built in the 13th century. The south façade is flanked by two round, ‘pepperpot’-style defensive towers dating from the 14th century. All the roofs (17th century) are covered with glazed Burgundian tiles. The mullioned windows and the Louis XIII-style bossaged door in the south-west tower also date from the same period. Inside are a Renaissance courtyard, an Italian-style loggia with three levels of arcades, and a 17th-century spiral staircase.
Current use: centre for contemporary art and heritage.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1943.
Website:lechateauaubenas.com
Saint-Laurent Church
Construction: 15th and 19th centuries.
Style: Romanesque.
History: the church is said to have been founded by Saint Dominic during his visit to Aubenas in 1218. Owing to the Hundred Years’ War, the present building was largely erected in the 15th century and has undergone several alterations. The main façade, for instance, was restored in the 19th century in a fairly austere Neo-Romanesque style.
Characteristics: It stands in the heart of the old town and is almost entirely enclosed by surrounding buildings, with no forecourt. Only a small statue of the Virgin Mary above the portal indicates the building’s religious purpose. The main façade, in the Neo-Romanesque style (19th century), follows the unadorned principles of Romanesque architecture. The interior of the church is very dark as it is enclosed by surrounding buildings. The chancel features rich Baroque-style choir stalls and altarpieces from the town’s former Jesuit college chapel, which was destroyed in the early 20th century. Slender, delicate galleries run between the imposing pillars that support the heavy ribbed vault.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1977.
Saint-Benoît Dome
Construction: 17th century
Style: Classical.
History: the Saint-Benoît Dome, a jewel of religious architecture and a listed Historic Monument, is characterised by a hexagonal drum and an 18th-century dome in the Italian Renaissance style. Formerly the chapel of a Benedictine convent, it was converted into a granary during the Revolution. It houses collections of religious art and the mausoleum of Marshal and Marshal’s Wife d’Ornano.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1944.
Maison Delichères (House of the Gargoyles)
Date of construction: 14th century
Style: Gothic.
History and features: The building, of Gothic architecture, is adorned with gargoyles carved from sandstone. In the 15th century, it was one of the wealthiest residences in Aubenas. The four-storey main building rises to an octagonal turret adorned with gargoyles. The façades feature several mullioned windows.
Listing: Listed as a Historic Monument in 1927.
