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The village of Saint Victor la Coste is the only settlement in the Tave river valley that has a rocky promontory on which a castle was built. This fort belonged to the powerful Sabran family, themselves vassals to the Count of Toulouse. The Sabrans were, by one of their descendants who married the Count of Provence, tied to the Kings and Queens of France and much of Europe.
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The power of the Sabran family encouraged the population of Saint Victor la Coste, who had until then lived in the plain, to the shadow of the castle's walls,
 on the north side of the hill.
The "Castellas" or large castle, with its strong fortifications, dominated the plain and the Tave river valley, its towers watching beyond, over the Rhone valley and the road leading up through the hills to Uzes. |
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The chapels of Mayran and Saint Martin were once the centers of vast domains owned by the clergy, governed by the bishop of Uzes from the 9th century up until the French Revolution.
 The oldest document known concerning Saint Victor la Coste is a charter dating from 896, that mentions "Saint Martin," near "old Mayran." The domain of Saint Martin included, at the time, a large expanse of land, with vineyards, and a number of domestic serfs.
Saint Martin was even, during the Middle Ages, the site of an important regional market, making it one of the crucial economic centers of the era, since the wealth of a region all passed through the local markets and fairs. |
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