Château de Pontevès, Medieval castle ruins in Pontevès, France.

Château de Pontevès is a ruined castle in Provence featuring a preserved gateway, four stone towers, and sections of curtain walls situated on elevated ground. The site displays remains from multiple construction phases spanning different architectural periods.

The fortress first appeared in records around 1021 as property of Saint-Victoir monastery. Major construction work took place between 1560 and 1580, when a great hall was added to the complex.

The castle's name comes from the Pontevès family, its lords from the 11th century. In 1650 François de Pontevès sold it to Pierre Maurel, a financier from Aix-en-Provence nicknamed the Croesus of Provence. Many village houses still show doorframes and windows taken from the ruins.

The grounds are open daily with no entrance fee required. Reaching the site takes planning as public transportation options are limited in this area.

Pierre Maurel, a financier from Aix-en-Provence nicknamed the Croesus of Provence, bought the castle in 1650, not in the 1560s. He demolished most of the old building and reused its stone for a residence of over 50 rooms on three levels, adding three corner towers and a gallery painted in trompe-l'œil by Jean Daret.