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Begun
in the 11th century, Marsanne was built on a high vantage
point above the plain to defend its inhabitants from attack.
First the chateau, then the fortified chapel was built, followed
by houses huddled round the ramparts and towers.
But fighting during the 14th century
destroyed Marsanne's mediaeval buildings and few traces of
them remain. The prosperous Renaissance period followed and
a new village sprang up on the same site.
The religious wars again destroyed
Marsanne but in the 17th century it recovered once more, being
rebuilt with the stones used in earlier times. Gradually,
the population began to decline during the 19th century and
property was abandoned. But new arrivals in the 1960s brought
the village back to life. Since then, old buildings have been
restored and modernised, while the population has continued
to grow. |
