Château de Peyrepertuse

Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, France

Château de Peyrepertuse is a ruined fortress and one of the so-called Cathar castles located high in the French Pyrénées in the commune of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. The view of the castle from Duilhac (to the south) is impressive thanks to the 30 to 40 meter cliff on which the Castle is perched. The main entrance is located on the north side, but in the time of the Cathars, a secret passage through a narrow path behind a rocky overhang allowed entrance by means of a detachable ladder. Today, the secret passage's postern is closed off, but the path is still there.

The castle is one of the 'Five Sons of Carcassonne' along with the castles Quéribus, Puilaurens, Termes, and Aguilar, all situated atop rocky peaks. Peyrepertuse is the biggest of the five castles and it is as vast as Carcassonne. The site was occupied during Roman times from the beginning of the 1st century B.C., as recent archaeological excavations have shown. The first historical references to the castle appeared in 806. It was then Catalan and was called Perapertusès. It belonged to the Count of Besalú, a small city situated in Catalonia between Figueres and Olot according to a text from 1020. It then passed into the earldom of Barcelona in 1111, and then into the viscountcy of Narbonne. From 1180, the Count of Barcelona (Alphonse II, who later became the king of Aragon) secured his independence from vassalage to the king of France.

At the time of the Albigensian Crusade, it was the fief of Guillaume de Peyrepertuse who, not wanting to submit, was excommunicated in 1224. He did finally submit after the failure of the siege of Carcassonne, and the castle became a French possession in 1240. IN 1242, Saint-Louis decided to reinforce it and add a second part, the Sant Jordi dungeon, located higher up on the ridge. The Sant Jordi dungeon was then constructed in 1250-51 and the Old Dungeon as well as the Sainte-Marie Church were re-purposed. The situation in the region was unclear until the signing of the Treaty of Corbeil in 1258 which liberated Catalonia and Languedoc. It also fixed the border as just south of Peyrepertuse Castle. Like its neighbors, the castles of Puilaurens and Queribus, Peyrepertuse was one of the royal fortresses which was reconstructed at the end of the 13th century to defend the border against the Crown of Aragon and then Spain until the 17th century.

In 1355, the castle was restored to its defensive state and Henri de Transtamare, pretender to the Castillian throne, routed at Navarette, was authorized by the king of France Charles V to take refuge there. In 1542, Jean de Graves, lord of Sérignan, seized the castle in the name of the Reformation, but was captured and executed.

The castle was decommissioned as a border point with the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 having lost its strategic interest. Although the citadel was a lot less valuable after the annexation of Roussillon in 1658, a small garrison commanded by a junior officer was maintained until the French Revolution, during which it was abandoned. Sold as a National Property in 1820, its ruins remain today. The first campaign for the preservation of the monument began in 1950.

Today, the ruins of Peyrepertuse Castle welcome close to 100,000 visitors per year.

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Details

Founded: 806 AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Frankish kingdoms (France)

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Paul Lamot (2 years ago)
Nice place. Beautiful views from the ruins of the medieval castle. Be ready for a 15 minutes hike over a narrow and rocky trail to get to the castle from the visiting center. In summer take water.
Laurice Mendoza (2 years ago)
a lovely beginner hike which rewards you with beautiful views from the top! add to it the story-guide around your visit and the wonders of its history. one for the memories!
Simon Price (2 years ago)
Another amazing Cathar castle. Incredible views.
luis mesquita (2 years ago)
Terrifying beautiful! I went during initial spring time and I was mesmerize with the trail that leads to the castle, it looks like taken out of RPG medieval game. It takes a bit of effort and it is bit dangerous they didn't spent much of the 10 million reform in security (I would say it is not very advisable to take kids here), but the views and atmosphere make it a must see if you are in the region. Next day I went to Carcassonne, but I did prefer this experience, way wilder. Bottom line I think this was the coolest castle I ever visited although it is just a ruin the views and trail make worth it.
Richard Prime (3 years ago)
The impossibly positioned castle that is in fact relatively easy to access with good shoes & sound mobility. Well worth it for the interesting castle, rock formations & incredible views. Reasonably sheltered from the wind. My No.1 Cathar castle, or any other!
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