Château de la Bâtie, Medieval castle ruins in Vienne, France.

Château de la Bâtie is a castle ruin in the Rhône valley that sits on elevated ground overlooking the river below. Stone walls and tower sections remain visible, showing how the fortification was laid out to control the valley.

Construction started around 1225 under Archbishop Jean de Bernin, who built on a site that held earlier Roman fortifications. The building served as an archbishop's residence before becoming a prison, and Cardinal Richelieu ordered its destruction in 1633.

The fortress represents medieval military architecture in southeastern France, demonstrating the defensive priorities of religious authorities during the Middle Ages.

The ruins stand on Mont Salomon above Vienne, reached on foot along paths climbing the terraced hillside; the ground is uneven and partly overgrown, so wear sturdy shoes. The site is an inscribed monument historique since 1926. The keep and curtain wall are best seen from below, where the town buildings and terraces frame the slope.

The castle was reduced to a royal prison after the archbishops of Vienne stopped maintaining it in the mid-14th century. In 1538 Francis I had the Saint-Anne bastion built to reinforce it against Charles V. The keep's flat, broken top and small openings are visible from the terraces below.