Baulx Castle, Medieval castle in Saint-Jean-de-Buèges, France

Baulx Castle is a ruined fortress of rough grey and beige stone above the village of Saint-Jean-de-Buèges. A round tower with a shallow conical tiled roof and finial stands beside a wall pierced by a rectangular window, and a long curtain wall runs to a tall square tower with a crenellated, stepped top. An arched gateway with a metal gate opens in the lower wall.

The fortress began as a watchtower in the 12th century and expanded during the 13th century. Over the following centuries it received various modifications until it fell into the ruined state documented in the 18th century.

The castle was long used as a sheepfold before Joseph Sicard gave it to the commune in 1987. Some houses in Saint-Jean-de-Buèges still show stones taken from the ruin when it served as a quarry. The restored hourds on the curtain wall are a detail to look for.

The castle stands above the village of Saint-Jean-de-Buèges and is reached on foot; the restored parts include a wooden staircase inside the keep leading to its top. The round and square towers and the corps de logis were consolidated and re-roofed with curved tiles, so some areas may be closed while work continues under the architect in charge of historic monuments.

The castle was used as a stone quarry after its ruin, and some houses in Saint-Jean-de-Buèges still show stones taken from it. It later served as a sheepfold until Joseph Sicard gave it to the commune in 1987.