Château de Foix

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The castle of Foix

The Foix Castle (French: Château de Foix ) is the ruins of a medieval rock fortress in southern France, which rises above the town of Foix in the department of Ariège. It was classified by the French Ministry of Culture as a monument historique in 1840 and is now a listed building.

History

Remnants of early military uses of the Rock of Foix (French: Roc de Foix ), which dominates the confluence of Arget in the Ariège, are obtained from the 7th century. In the year 987 a castle on the rock is first mentioned in writing that belonged to the Ancient of Carcassonne the Count Roger. This she bequeathed to his younger son, Roger Bernard, who founded the Count House of Foix and erected the first tower of the castle, called Tour d' Arget. Count Roger II built the second tower, which is called because of its pointed corner tower tour Pointue.

In the 12th century, the castle became a center of courtly world of Occitania. In a chanson attributed their strength was recognized by an anonymous troubadour:

Due to the support of the Graf house for the heretical sect of the Cathars also Foix became a target of the Albigensian Crusade. The castle was in 1211 and 1212 successfully defended against the Crusaders Simon IV de Montfort. After the defeat at the battle of Muret in 1213 was Count Raymond Roger the castle but voluntarily, but they already got back the following year. In 1272 the castle of King Philip III was. besieged by France to the Count Roger Bernard III. to subdue. The Count surrendered after two days of siege against domination, but could take the castle by force without the king. Under the following counts the castle lost because of their discomfort in importance and was replaced by the more representative castles in Orthez and Pau as the main residence. For Count Gaston II it served as a prison for his mother. Count Gaston IV finally built the round tower (Tour ronde ), who received the function of a prison and the castle gave its present appearance. In 1486 the castle was conquered the only time of John of Foix - Etampes in the fight against his niece, Queen Catherine of Navarre.

After 1589 the last Count of Foix had become as Henry IV, King of France, the castle with a royal garrison was occupied, which remained until the French Revolution there. During this time, here brilliant festivals were celebrated. Among other things, by the Count de Treville, who was under King Louis VIII captain of the musketeers, and the Maréchal de Ségur, a minister of King Louis XVI. By the year 1862, the castle was used as a prison.

Since 1930 the castle houses the Regional Museum of the department of Ariège, in the prehistoric, Gallo-Roman and medieval exhibits are on display.

The castle in the art

The painting Berenguer III al castell de Foix shows the Count Ramon Berenguer III. of Barcelona in the battle for the castle of Foix. The work comes from the Catalan painter Marià Fortuny from the year 1857.