Village Troglodytique de Barry, Cave dwelling ruins in Bollène, France.
The Village Troglodytique de Barry comprises numerous caves and stone structures carved directly into a rocky hilltop rising over 300 meters. The site reveals domestic spaces, pathways, and remains of medieval fortifications spread across the slope.
The site was inhabited from the Neolithic period through successive Celtic, Roman, and medieval populations who all left traces in the carved spaces. Residents departed in the early 1900s, bringing an end to thousands of years of continuous occupation.
The settlement displays layers of habitation through its carved dwellings, with visible internal staircases, hearths, and a small chapel from the 1600s that reveal how communities organized their daily lives here.
The site can be reached via the Montée de Barry road with parking available along the base. Multiple walking paths of varying difficulty allow visitors to explore the caves and structures at their own pace.
The medieval fortification features triple arrow slits, a rare defensive innovation that allowed multiple archers to fire simultaneously from the same opening. This unusual system reveals how residents engineered their defenses for greater protection.
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