Château de Saumane-de-Vaucluse, Medieval castle in Saumane-de-Vaucluse, France.

The Château de Saumane-de-Vaucluse consists of a two-storey Renaissance corps de logis opening south onto a wide terrace reached directly from the village. The north access is a fortified medieval climb linking the terrace to a lower fortified courtyard where parts of the original moat remain visible. Inside, a T-shaped vestibule leads to five large rooms, and a straight-then-double-curved staircase of honour faces the entrance, framing a vaulted chapel.

The site on its rocky spur shows ceramic fragments from the Iron Age, Gallo-Roman times and the 12th–13th centuries, found in digs in 1986 and 2010. In the Middle Ages the fief belonged to Pons II d'Astouaud, chancellor of Raymond VII of Toulouse. Pope Nicholas V infeoffed Baudet II de Sade by bull on 14 November 1451; Clement VII confirmed the transfer to Joachim I de Sade on 31 August 1526. The family kept the castle until 1868.

The marquis de Sade spent part of his childhood here, from age five to ten, while the estate belonged to his uncle Jacques de Sade, an ecclesiastic and man of letters. The Sade family kept the castle until 1868, when it was sold to the mayor of Saumane-de-Vaucluse.

The site sits on a rocky outcrop and requires some climbing to explore, so wear comfortable shoes for walking around the structure. Plan enough time to climb and walk around it fully to view all sides and understand its defensive layout.

The marquis de Sade lived here as a child, from age 5 to 10, when the estate belonged to his uncle Jacques de Sade, an ecclesiastic and man of letters. The Sade family kept the castle until 1868, when it was sold to the mayor of Saumane-de-Vaucluse.