Grignan is famous for its Doors of France

In the area of the Doors of France at Grignan, several archeological excavations have been carried out that have shown that the location has been occupied since the Iron Age, which suggests that the site has been inhabited since then. It is evident that this area was once occupied by a Bronze Age society and also by a Roman society during the 5th and 6th centuries. There have been reports that the Abbey of Saint-Chaffre, in the Haute-Loire, made reference to an obscure castellum Gradignanum in a cartulaire (a ledger of church or monastery property titles) in 1035. It is believed that over the next century, the name was gradually changed to become the castrum Grainan (1105), then Graigna, Grazinam... It is not known as to when or how the castle was built and very little information is available about its origins. Sometime around the year 1030, it has been proven that a certain Christophe de Grignan existed, and in 1035, the Cartulary of Saint-Chaffre, speaks of a 'Rostaing du château de Grignan,' also known as Rostagnus de Castello Gradignano, and mentioned in the account of the castle.