Château de Puivert

The Puivert Castle (French Château de Puivert ) counted in the early 13th century to the Cathar Castles. In the 14th century but was completely rebuilt at its present location. The classification as a monument historique took place in 1907. The castle is privately owned but open to the public.

• 3.1 defensive wall
• 3.2 donjon
• 3.3 Burgkapelle
• 3.4 Hall of musicians
• 3.5 roof

Location

The castle Puivert located on a ridge of Quercorb, a small region in the south of France, Aude department between cities Lavelanet and Quillan about 1.5 km ( driving distance ) east of the community Puivert at an altitude of 605 meters above sea level. d M. Also within walking distance of the castle is easily accessible.; the height difference between place and castle is more than 100 meters.

History

Old Castle

The first mention of the castle dates back to the year 1170 - a date which fits well to the used stone material (rough or uncut rubble). At the time of the Albigensian Crusade, it was owned by the Congost family who sympathized with the doctrines of the Cathars, which is why its members were regarded as heretics. For this reason, the castle was the end of the year 1210, included by the army of Thomas Pons de Bruyère, a lieutenant of Simon IV de Montfort. After only three days of siege surrendered the garrison of the castle. The lord of the castle, Bernard de Congost died in 1232 at the castle Montsegur only about 20 kilometers away. His son was allegedly involved in the assassination of the inquisitors in Avignonet ( 1242 ) and was one of the defenders of Montsegur in the years 1243/4.

New castle

At the beginning of the 14th century were Thomas de Bruyère, the grandson of Thomas Pons, and his wife Isabelle of Melun, daughter of the Grand Chamberlain (grand cham bellan ) of the French king, just east of the old castle (château vieux ) the new castle (château neuf ) construct. As a stone material for the visible parts of the masonry precisely machined building stone were used. The coats of arms of the builders - the one with a female figure as an attachment, the other with a male figure - are still visible at high altitude Gothic entrance portal of the keep.

Architecture

Defense wall

To the outside of the defensive character of the castle is unmistakable. The former by a moat, the remains of which can still be seen at the main gate, surrounded defensive wall with a length of about 240 meters (of which approximately 175 meters receive ) forms a regular rectangle. The wall was equipped with numerous loopholes and battlements ( Créneaux ) that were accessible by wooden ramparts of; a portion of these walkways was reconstructed. Five of the original eight towers of the castle are still preserved. Access to the castle is via a provided with a wooden portcullis arched gate in a square tower in the center of the eastern perimeter wall.

Overall, the defensive wall comprises inside an outdoor area of ​​3,200 m². One of the round towers shows beautiful ashlar stones.

In addition to the main entrance to the castle, the castle has two more goals:

• On the one defended by the Keep page in the northwest
• Another was made possible in the south of the keep, from where access to the old castle.

Keep

The square keep ( donjon ) with side lengths of about 15 meters and a height of about 32 meters is still the best-preserved part of the castle. In his construction he no longer served - as before - for residential purposes, but primarily as a place of representation at festivals, visits etc. Originally bordered the keep to the - destroyed - living quarters (corps de logis ) of the lord of the castle to. ; on the west side of the tower are still visible wall pieces and additions that may indicate the presence of the former residential building. The visible walls on the exterior and in the interior of the keep are constructed of precision cut stone; the wall thickness of about 1.50 to 2.20 meters, however, was only accessible with filling of unhewn stones.

The entrance to the dungeon is about 3.20 meters in height above ground level; a staircase leads to a vaulted cellar with pointed barrel vault. Is the guard room ( salle des gardes ) Right next to the entrance.

Chapel

In the third floor of the keep is the castle chapel; she has an eight -part late Gothic ribbed vault, the thrust forces are not derived via wall templates ( half-columns ), but merely intercepted by lateral wall brackets with figural representations. In one of the four walls of a medieval Stoup ( piscine liturqique ) is embedded.

Hall of musicians

In the fourth floor of the keep is the Hall of musicians ( salle des musiciens ) owes its name to eight Konsolsteinen with finely worked out sculptures of musicians and their instruments. In fact, a story out that a famous meeting of troubadours was held in the old castle of Puivert in the 12th century. The instruments shown are bagpipe, flute, tambourine, rebec, lute, or Guiterne Quinterne, organ, psalterion and Fidel ( many A archet ); one of the instruments is sometimes interpreted as a hurdy-gurdy.

Roof

From unsecured roof of the keep itself offer beautiful views of the entire system of the two castles of Puivert and over the surrounding countryside.

Pictures

New castle

Round Tower

Chapel

Others

Several films have benefited in some scenes from the impressive backdrop of the castle Puivert:

• The Passion of Beatrice (1987 ) Director: Bertrand Tavernier; Starring: Julie Delpy
• The Ninth Gate (1999 ) Director: Roman Polanski; Starring Johnny Depp
• Winged Migration - The Secret of migratory birds (2001 ) Director: Jacques Perrin, inter alia,
• Lady Godiva (2006 ) Director: Vicky Jewson; Starring: Phoebe Thomas