Roc de Peyre, Volcanic summit in Saint-Sauveur-de-Peyre, France

Roc de Peyre is an isolated volcanic cone of basalt, roughly Pliocene in age, in the commune of Saint-Sauveur-de-Peyre near Marvejols. Its upper slopes are a dense band of pale grey and white rock, with grassy lower slopes and scattered trees; the flat summit holds a television relay, a large cross, an orientation table and a thin mast, ringed by a metal railing above near-vertical north faces.

The castle of the barony of Peyre, one of the most powerful in Gévaudan, stood on this rock and was held to be impregnable until the 15th century. It was then destroyed by the admiral Joyeuse, in retaliation for the destruction wrought in Gévaudan by Matthieu Merle, a Huguenot captain hired by the widow of Astorg de Peyre to avenge her husband's murder. Nothing of the castle remains.

The name Peyre comes from the Occitan for stone, fitting a basalt crag that gave its name to the barony of Peyre, one of the most powerful of Gévaudan. From the summit, a large cross, a television relay and an orientation table now stand where the castle once rose.

A parking area and marked trail lead visitors to the summit for a short walk to the top. Sturdy shoes are helpful since the path can be uneven and rocky near the peak.

This peak formed during a different geological period and remained separate from the nearby Aubrac volcanic system. Its independent origin makes it a distinct geological formation worth noticing.