The Château de Saissac

The Château de Saissac is a ruined castle, one of the so-called Cathar castles, in the southernmost tip of the commune of Saissac in the Aude département in the north-west of Carcassonne, France. It was once the residence of the powerful vassal family of Trencavel. Today, the ruins are a monument historique, protected by the French government. Based on historical texts, it can be dated to at least 960.

The castle was bequeathed by the bishop of Toulouse to the Count of Carcassonne and was pledged to powerful vassals in the 11th century. At the time of the Albigensian Crusade in 1229, the lord of Saissac, Bertrand de Saissac, was the tutor of Raymond Roger de Trencavel, a significant event in the castle's history. The castle changed hands repeatedly until 1565, passing through the hands of Bernuy and the house of Clermont-Lodève.

In 1568 and 1580, the Protestant troops destroyed the village, but were unable to enter the impregnable fortress. From 1715, the castle was held by the Luynes, who, however, did not reside in the castle. After the French Revolution, the castle quickly fell in ruins.

From 1995, the castle has been in the possession of the commune, which began a programme of restoration in order to make the castle available to visitors. In 2007, two rooms of the main building were rebuilt in the 16th century style, together with the framework resembling the hull of a ship. Many locked cellars under the keep have been made accessible.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons