Château de Puivert

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Mountain panorama, seen from the keep terrace
Mountain panorama, seen from the keep terrace

The Château de Puivert is a so-called Cathar castle situated in the commune of Puivert, in the Aude département of France. This building, on top a hill overhanging the village and its lake, reaches and altitude of 605 m. The site is in the Quercob region, 60 km (40 miles) south of Carcassonne and 45 km (30 miles) east of Foix. The castle has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1902.

Contents

[edit] History of the Château

[edit] The first castle

The construction dates from the 13th century. The first mention is in 1170: it then belonged to the Congost family, at the time of the Albigensian Crusade. These lords practised Catharism and were accused as heretics. Then, in November 1210, the castle was subjected for three days to a siege by the army of Thomas Pons de Bruyère, lieutenant of Simon de Montfort and it became the property of the northern barons. All that is left of this older castle is a few sections of wall to the east. A collapse of the natural dam on the lake at the foot of the site caused the destruction of the part of the town of Mirepoix, 30 km north, in Ariège in 1279. According to legend, this was because a certain Dame Blanche wanted to daydream on the lake shores, which were inaccessible in bad weather. She asked that the water level be lowered and works to accomplish this led to the collapse. [1]

[edit] The present castle

At the start of the 14th century, Thomas de Bruyère, grandson of Pons, and his wife Isabelle de Melun, built the new castle, to the east of the old castle, remains of which are still visible. The coat-of-arms of Isabelle de Melun, daughter of a Grand Chamberlain of France, are still in the old building. The building was given a symbolic and picturesque character which can still be seen today.

The castle was classified as Monument historique (Historic monument) in 1907. The castle is privately owned and has been a location for many films including The Ninth Gate and Le Peuple migrateur, thanks to its very well preserved keep.

[edit] The minstrels' room

On the fourth flooor of the keep is the minstrels room (salle des musiciens). It is so-called because eight very fine sculptures of musicians with their instruments are represented in the room. Legend has it that the town of Puivert welcomed in the 12th century a great gathering of troubadours. The instruments seen in the room are the bagpipes, flute, tambourin, rebec, lute, gittern, portable organ, psaltery and the bowed hurdy-gurdy.

Elsewhere in the town is a museum (Musée du Quercorb) showing the musical tradition of the region from this period.

[edit] Description of the château

One of the towers of Château de Puivert
One of the towers of Château de Puivert
Keep of the Château de Puivert
Keep of the Château de Puivert

[edit] The walls

The castle's functions were military: lookout and defence, unlike many buildings of the era which had religious goals. The curtain wall extends for 175 m, pierced with arrow slits. In plan, it is rectangular. The moat which separated it from the plateau is practically invisible today. The entrance to the courtyard is through a square gate tower, situated in the centre of the east wall.

Five of the original eight towers remain:

  • a smooth round tower in the north-east corner
  • a rough round tower in the middle of the north wall
  • a square tower, with a windowed turret on the eastern side joing the two top floors
  • remains of a round tower in the south-eats
  • the keep (the best preserved part of the castle).

As well as the central gateway in the east wall, there are two other doorways:

  • one in the north-west corner defended by the keep
  • another to the south of the keep giving access to the older castle.

The surface area of the site is very large: 3 200 m² inside the walls.

[edit] The keep

The best preserved part of the castle, the square keep measures 15 m by 15 m with a height of 35 m. Originally, it adjoined the manor house. On the west of the tower can be seen pieces of perpendicular masonry, from which it can be deduced that the buiildings were joined in this area. The keep comprises:

  • two lower levels: partly underground, with barrel vaulting
  • a third floor: accessible through a broken arch door is the chapel. The room is decorated with small columns, mouldings and shields. The ceiling is rib-vaulted; in the wall is a "piscina" (basin).
  • a fourth floor: a rib vaulted room, the culs-de-lampe sculpted with profane figurines playing musical instruments - the Minstrels' Room ("Salle des Musiciens"). It is well-lit, thanks to three windows resembling those of the chapel.
  • the fifth and top floor: defensive platform, originally surrounded with crenellations, provides a magnificent view of the Quercob region.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Sources

  • Châteaux médiévaux de l'Aude : Guide du visiteur, 25 sites du pays cathare; Archéologie du Midi médiéval; revue annuelle du Centre d'archéologie médiévale du Languedoc ; supplément au tome 4, 1986.
  • AUÉ, Michèle; (trans. Pleasance, Simon) (1992). Discover Cathar Country. Vic-en-Bigorre, France: MSM. ISBN 2-907899-44-9.
  • MICHELIN Green Guide: Languedoc, Roussillon, Tarn Gorges (Michelin Tyre plc 1998) p317

[edit] References

  1. ^ AUÉ, Michèle; (trans. Pleasance, Simon) (1992). Discover Cathar Country. Vic-en-Bigorre, France: MSM, 54. ISBN 2-907899-44-9. 

Coordinates: 42°55′16″N, 2°03′18″E