Castles in Occitanie
Château de Valon
Château de Valon offers a sumptuous panoramic view of the Gorges de la Truyère. Since the 12th Century, the feudal castle, built like an eagle"s nest on the rocky mound, has dominated the Gorges de la Truyère. This mediaeval site is classed as one of the most picturesque in the Aveyron. Traditional schist stone houses with lauze covered roofs overlook two magnificent valleys. The château is reputed for the tales ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Lacroix-Barrez, France
Château de la Roquette
Château de la Roquette, also known as Château de Viviourès, was mentioned first time in 12th century. It was abandoned in the 16th century.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Rouet, France
Château de Roquefixade
The Château de Roquefixade is a ruined castle built on a cliff overlooking the village of Roquefixade. There are records of a castle on the site going back to 1180, though the present ruins are more modern. While marketed in the tourist industry as one of the so-called Cathar castles, the ruins are later than this. Despite this, the site did provide a place of refuge for the Cathars at the time of the Albigensian Cr ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Roquefixade, France
Château de Saint-Élix-le-Château
Château de Saint-Élix-le-Château was built between 1540 and 1548 at the request of the Pierre Potier Terrace, secretary and notary of king Frans I. Its architecture combines details of medieval and Renaissance style.
Founded: 1540-1548 |
Location:
Saint-Élix-le-Château, France
Château du Bousquet
Château du Bousquet was built in the 14th century. Today it hosts a museum of ancient art from the Middle Ages to the present day. The castle has very well-preserved sample of late medieval architecture (furnished interior, furniture, objects, paintings).
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Montpeyroux, France
Château de La Caze
Château de La Caze was built in the 15th century by Soubeyrane Alamand and Guillaume de Montclar. During the French Revolution it was used as a prison. Today it is a luxury hotel.
Founded: 1420 |
Location:
Sainte-Enimie, France
Château de Saint-Saturnin
Château de Saint-Saturnin is composed of three round towers and a one square tower. The oldest record is related to Crown in the 13th century. The castle was expanded in the 17th century, but gradually abandoned after the French Revolution.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Saint-Saturnin, France
Château de Mauriac
Château de Mauriac was built in the 13th-14th century. It was damaged by the Catholic army during the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century. Today the castle is used for weddings and other events.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Senouillac, France
Château d'Agel
Château d"Agel was first mentioned in 1100. In the early 12th century the area was rocked by the scandal of the Cathar Wars or Albigensian Crusade. A local form of Christianity was becoming ever more popular and according to some had already become the majority religion of the area. The Catholic Church regarded it as both a heresy and a threat. The 'heresy' was strongest in the county of Toulouse and ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Agel, France
Château de Lagarde
The Château de Lagarde is a ruined castle situated near the village of Lagarde. The first documented mention of Lagarde is from the 10th century. The first castle was a square tower with, in the corner, a circular covering tower, built in the 11th century. In the 12th century, four square towers were added as well as a rectangular gatehouse, the whole castle being linked by walls with arrowslits and crenellations. ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Lagarde, France
Château Sainte Marie
Château Sainte Marie dates from the tenth century. Built by the Counts of Bigorre it fell under the English rule in the 14th century but was be quickly reconquered by the inhabitants. Free access is on foot, by an easy path, from the village of Esterre.
Founded: 10th century |
Location:
Esterre, France
Château de Roquessels
The Château de Roquessels was built in the 10th century. It was a dependency of the convent of Cassans, which collected tithes from the baron of Margon. In 1247, the inhabitants of the village, like all subjects of the Trencavels, viscount of Béziers, were released from their pledge of allegiance and submitted to the King of France. The castle resisted valiantly the assaults of Simon de Montfort"s army. Today, the ...
Founded: 10th century |
Location:
Roquessels, France
Château de Launac
Château de Launac was built by the viscounts of Gimoes in the 12th century. In 1148 the castle passed into the house of Isle Jourdain. Dismantled after the Treaty of Paris in 1229, the fortress was rebuilt in the fifteenth century by Carmaing Nègrepelisse. It consisted of four corner towers including an old keep from the twelfth century. This castle was undoubtedly again dismantled by Cardinal Richelieu under the r ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Launac, France
Château d'Avezan
Château d"Avezan castle was built, probably in 1230, on the site of an older castle of which nothing remains. It was expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries. The castle was originally in the possession of the viscounts of Lomagne. In the 18th century the castle was passed into the hands of several families who lose interest and left it to decay. The castle has been restored since 1970s.
Founded: c. 1230 |
Location:
Avezan, France
Château de Magrin
Built on a height of 330 meters overlooking the valley of the Agout and hillsides of Lauragais, the site of Château de Magrin may have been occupied by a Gallic oppidum, converted into Roman castrum, and then reworked by the Visigoths. The first written record of the château dates from 7 August 1224, when the chatelain put himself under the protection of the Count of Toulouse, Raymond VII. In 1279, a notarial act attr ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Magrin, France
Château de Miglos
Dependent on the counts of Foix, the chateau at Miglos is mentioned in 1213, at the time of the inventory of the strongholds given back to the king of France. Miglos was a place of passage and of residence for numerous Cathar Perfects and believers.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Miglos, France
Château du Colombier
The square tower is the oldest part of the Château du Colombier but the exact date of construction is unknown. It was enlarged during the 13th and 14th centuries. In 2001-2002, the opening of the Hall of Frescos completed the tour of the chateau and allowed visitors to experience the refinement of its Renaissance decoration (XVI century)
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Salles-la-Source, France
Château du Tournel
Château du Tournel is the former seat of the Barons of Tournel, one of the eight baronies of Gévaudan. The castle is sited on a rocky outcrop which dominates the upper valley of the Lot. It is in a strategic position, taking into account the possessions of the Tournel family. From its towers, one can see Mont Lozère, the highest point in the region. Before the 13th century, the Tournel family regarded themselves ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Saint-Julien-du-Tournel, France
Château de Calmont d'Olt
The Château de Calmont d"Olt is perched atop a basalt dyke. It provides a panoramic view of the Aubrac highlands. Flint fragments and a polished stone axe are evidence of occupation of the site for 5,000 years. The ministerium Calvomantese was first mentioned in 883, in documents from the Abbey at Conques. It has always had a military significance, commanding the road from Rodez to Aubrac and, more widely ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Espalion, France
Château de Loubens
From the original Château de Loubens castle remains today the main 15th and 16th century building and three towers which still bear their original Renaissance design. The north facade, facing the park, is framed by two defensive round towers. The high west walls plunge into a pond, remains of the original moat. On the south side, the castle sunny terrace overlooks the surrounding countryside. An hexagonal tower embeded i ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Loubens-Lauragais, France