Château d'Agel

Agel, France

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 all over Languedoc, where vassals of the Count of Toulouse refortified a line of castles to protect themselves against Papal forces. Agel was one of that line of castles refortified to resist the Pope's forces.

The Crusade against the Cathars, led by Simon de Montfort, raged throughout the Languedoc. In Simon's bid to take nearby Minerve in 1210, the château d'Agel was almost entirely destroyed by fire. In July of that year, Minerve fell, and the 180 Cathars who had taken refuge there met their end on a burning pyre.

The Treaty of Paris, which annexed Languedoc to France in 1220, put an end to the Crusade. Guiraud de Pépieux, who had escaped the massacre, set about restoring the château for his descendants. Notarial records dating back to the year 1300 mention another Guillaume de Pépieux as Lord of Aigues-Vives and Agel.

The architecture of the Château d'Agel reflects its continued use over the centuries. Thus for example window styles, vary from the tiny windows of the stark 12th century fortress to the beautiful windows of the Renaissance with ornamental balusters and capitals. During the 17th century, Renaissance embrasures were replaced on the principal frontage by broad bays with small squares in the style of Trianon.

By the first half of the 20th century, the Château had fallen into disrepair, and the northern wing in particular had become a ruin. In the 1960s the Ecal family began the task of restoring the property and its gardens to their former glory. Today Château d'Agel is a grand hotel.

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Address

Place du Château 6, Agel, France
See all sites in Agel

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

More Information

chateaudagel.fr
www.castlesandmanorhouses.com
www.au-chateau.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne (42,2 km)
Cháteau Comtal (42,3 km)
Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus (42,4 km)
Archbishop's Palace (21 km)
Narbonne Cathedral (21 km)
Fontfroide Abbey (23,7 km)
Minerve (8,9 km)
Béziers Cathedral (28,8 km)
Château de Peyrepertuse (57,4 km)

User Reviews

Arnaud Fernandez (4 months ago)
Nous avons passé un excellent séjour au château dans la suite! Très confortable, très spacieuse la chambre comme la salle de bains nous ont plongés à l époque des chevaliers et damoiselles. La décoration est soignée, le parc et ses buis très parfumés nous délassent encore plus. Nous y avons séjourné en plein hiver. En été, le ravissement des sens doit être encore plus prenant ! Le repas était digne d une table gastro etoilee. Les propriétaires sont exquis , on prolongerait aussi le séjour pour continuer à discuter avec eux devant le feu de cheminée . .. Ne pas oublier de déguster le vin du domaine...
Atelier Nomade Traiteur événements (9 months ago)
Lieu de réception magique plein d'histoire et de sensualité. Le gros plus les propriétaires sont adorables
Mathilde Demeure (10 months ago)
Magnifique endroit enchanteur
MOAIYAD POONAWALA (13 months ago)
Awesome place to stay
Wally Fisher (4 years ago)
Lovely little village.
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After World War II the castle did not have a permanent owner and was the home of various institutions until 1972 when it became a convalescent home. Later it became a Public Health Care Centre for Therapies of Neuroses. Nowadays it can be visited by tourists since the health institution has moved to another building in the neighbourhood. The castle also has a chapel which is used as a concert hall. Since 1998 the castle housed a gallery in which works of various artists are presented at regular exhibitions.

Apart from the castle itself, the entire complex includes a park which has no precise boundaries and includes nearby fields, meadows and a forest. Only the main axis of the park can be characterised as geometrical. Starting from the gate, it leads along the oak and then horse-chestnut avenues, towards the castle. Further on, the park passes into an avenue of lime trees with symmetrical canals running along both sides of the path, lined with a few varieties of rhododendrons. The axis of the park terminates at the base of a former monument of Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. On the eastern side of the avenue there is a pond with an islet referred to by the owners as Easter Island. The islet is planted with needle-leaved shrubs and can be reached by a Chinese-styled bridge. The garden, as part of the whole park complex was restored slightly earlier than the castle itself. Preserved documents of 1868 state that the improvement in the garden's aesthetic quality was undertaken by Hubert von Tiele-Winckler.

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