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History

The castle in the Romanesque Era

During the early years of the 12th century, Viscount Bernard Aton Trencavel began the construction of a new residence to replace the original viscounts' castle traditionally said to have stood on the site of the towers at the Narbonnaise Gate. The so-called "palatium" was erected at the western end of the spur of rock, backing onto the old town walls and three of its towers, the Chapel, Powder and Pint Towers. The height of these towers was then increased. The castle included two buildings dominated by a square keep. One building lay on the west side; the other was set at right angles to it and was east-facing. At that time, it had only one storey topped by crenelated battlements, traces of which can still be seen in the masonry.

When St. Mary's Chapel was built on the north side, c. 1150, the castle was laid out in a U-shape around a courtyard which may have been closed off at the east end by a light structure such as a stockade. At the end of the 12th century or beginning of the 13th, the vaulted chamber in the keep was decorated with a vast mural consisting of an animal frieze and a scene depicting a battle between Franks and Saracens, perhaps the battles in which Viscount Bernard Aton fought during the First Crusade to Jerusalem or perhaps scenes from the Reconquista in Spain.

Refurbishments to the castle during the royal period

Over the years that followed the creation of the royal seneschalsy, between 1228 and 1239, the castle was given new fortifications. An outer wall including crenelations and round towers with slit windows now encircled the buildings along a perimeter of 80 metres by 40 metres. A gateway flanked by twin towers to the east and a carriage entrance to the west controlled access to the walled town.

The arrival of a royal garrison in 1242 meant that the castle had to be extended. Lodgings were given an additional storey and, against the south wall, a new building was erected. Its remains are now to be seen in the "South Courtyard" (cour du midi). The stone bases of a colonnade on the ground floor and traceried ribbed vaulting on the upper floor, added during the 14th century, give some idea of the size of the ceremonial hall and residential chambers. To the east, the system of defence was completed by a dry moat and a semi-circular barbican topped by battlements and fitted with a fortified gate.

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