Industrial Frenchman Pierre Bardou-Job became wealthy selling rolling paper and decided to have a château built for each of his three children. All designed by the Danish architect Viggo Dorph-Petersen, the Château d'Aubiry was for his son Justin and built from 1893 to 1904. Pierre Bardou-Job himself never saw it, as he died suddenly in 1892 just before the start of the construction. The palace has an Art Nouveau style interior. The English park has pavilions, a swimming pool, terraces and greenhouses.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.