Perched at an altitude of 800 meters on a limestone ridge, the Peyrepertuse Castle is a ruined fortress located in the Aude department. Often referred to as 'Celestial Carcassonne' because it is the biggest of the five castles of the region and is as vast as Carcassonne, the first historical references to the castle appeared in 806. It then belonged to the Count of Besalú, and later passed into the earldom of Barcelona in 1111, and then into the Viscountcy of Narbonne.
During the Albigensian Crusade, Guillaume de Peyrepertuse, the then lord, was excommunicated in 1224 for not wanting to submit. After his submission in 1240, the castle became a French possession. Today, access to Peyrepertuse Castle is via a road ending in a car-park below the cliff, followed by a path offering views of the surrounding vineyards and the village of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse.
Despite its ruined state, most of the walls are still standing and some rooms are still well preserved, especially the fortified chapel in the Lower Castle. Visitors can explore the site, 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.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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