The ruins of Savel are the remains of an ancient medieval castle. The walls of Château de Savel housed many noble families documented since 1163. At the end of the 13th century, in 1288, the fortress passed into the possession of the Counts of Valentinois. The construction of a stone wall approximately 1.40 m thick, extending more than 100 m from east to west and enclosing the former high courtyard between the various former towers and the residence, was also completed under the Counts of Valentinois in the 14th century. After the death of Louis II of Poitiers in 1419, the last count of that name, the fortress of Gigors passed into royal possession. The fortress included a castle chapel dedicated to Saint Marcel, which was described as a ruin in 1644.
The site contains significant remains of artificial landscaping. The rock was excavated to isolate the tower of a keep to the south, and a lower courtyard was created to the north.
Indeed, the château offered a sweeping view of the valleys of the Drôme and its tributaries, the Sye and Gervanne, leading to the Vercors.
The importance of this strategic point seems to explain the determination with which the demolition crews used explosives, presumably at the end of the Wars of Religion, to destroy the château and the manor house located west of the fortress.