Puivert Castle
| Puivert Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Creation time : | 12./14. century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | Castle ruins | |
| Standing position : | Katharerburg / aristocratic seat | |
| Construction: | Rubble stones | |
| Place: | Puivert | |
| Geographical location | 42 ° 55 '16 " N , 2 ° 3' 18" E | |
| Height: | 605 m | |
|
||
The castle Puivert ( French: Château de Puivert ) was one of the Cathar castles in the early 13th century . In the 14th century, however, it was completely rebuilt at its current location. It was classified as a Monument historique in 1907. The castle is privately owned but is open to the public.
location
The hilltop castle is located at 605 m on a ridge of the Quercorb , a small stretch of land in the southern French department of Aude between the cities of Lavelanet and Quillan about 1.5 kilometers (driving distance) east of the municipality of Puivert at an altitude of 605 meters above sea level. d. The castle is also easily accessible on foot; the difference in altitude between town and castle is a good 100 meters.
history
Old castle
The castle was first mentioned in the year 1170 - a date that also matches the stone material used (rough or unhewn rubble stones ). At the time of the Albigensian Crusade , it was owned by the Congost family, who sympathized with the Cathar doctrines , which is why its members were considered heretics . For this reason, at the end of 1210, the castle was surrounded by the army of Thomas Pons de Bruyère , a lieutenant of Simon IV de Montfort . After only three days of siege, the castle's crew capitulated. The lord of the castle, Bernard de Congost, died in 1232 at Montségur Castle, only about 20 kilometers away . His son was allegedly involved in the assassination attempt on the inquisitors in Avignonet (1242) and was one of the defenders of Montségur in 1243/4.
new Castle
At the beginning of the 14th century Thomas de Bruyère, the grandson of Thomas Pons, and his wife Isabelle von Melun, daughter of the grand chamberlain ( grand chambellan ) of the French king, left the new castle ( château neuf ) immediately east of the old castle ( château vieux ) ) erect. Exactly processed house stones were used as stone material for the visible parts of the masonry. The coats of arms of the builders - one with a female figure as an attachment, the other with a male figure - are still at high altitude Gothic entrance portal of the keep to see.
architecture
Defensive wall
Outwardly, the defensive character of the castle is unmistakable. The defensive wall , which was formerly surrounded by a moat , the remains of which can still be seen at the main gate, is approx. 240 meters long (approx. 175 meters of which have been preserved) and forms a regular rectangle. The wall was with numerous loopholes and battlements ( Créneaux equipped) supported by wooden ramparts were out of reach; a section of these battlements has been reconstructed. Five of the original eight towers of the castle are still preserved today. The castle is accessed via a pointed arched gate with a wooden portcullis in a square tower in the middle of the eastern defensive wall.
Overall, the defensive wall has an open area of 3,200 m² inside. One of the round towers shows beautifully embossed stones .
In addition to the main entrance to the castle, the castle has two further gates:
- one on the north-west side defended by the keep
- another to the south of the keep, from where access to the old castle was made possible.
Keep
The square keep ( donjon ) with sides of about 15 meters and a height of about 32 meters is the best preserved part of the castle today. When it was built, it was no longer used for residential purposes - as it used to be - but primarily as a place of representation at parties, visits, etc. Originally, the keep was adjacent to the - destroyed - living quarters ( corps de logis ) of the lord of the castle; Wall pieces and entrances can still be seen on the west side of the tower, which indicate the presence of the former residential buildings. The visible walls on the outside and inside the keep consist of precisely hewn stones; however, the wall thickness of around 1.50 to 2.20 meters could only be achieved with filler material made from uncut stones.
The high entrance to the keep is about 3.20 meters above ground level; a staircase leads to a cellar vault with a pointed barrel vault. Immediately next to the entrance is the guardroom ( salle des gardes ).
Castle chapel
The castle chapel is located on the third floor of the donjon ; it has an eight-part late Gothic ribbed vault , the thrust forces of which are not diverted via wall templates (half-columns), but are only absorbed by side wall brackets with figurative representations. A medieval holy water font ( piscine liturqique ) is set into one of the four walls .
Hall of the Musicians
On the fourth floor of the keep is the Hall of the Musicians ( salle des musiciens ), which owes its name to eight console stones with finely carved sculptures of musicians and their instruments. In fact, a story suggests that in the 12th century a famous meeting of troubadours was held in the old castle of Puivert. The represented instruments are bagpipe , flute , tambourine , rebec , lute , guiterne or quinterne, organ , psalterion and the fiddle ( vièle à archet ); one of the instruments is sometimes interpreted as a hurdy-gurdy .
top, roof
The unsecured roof of the keep offers beautiful views over the entire complex of the two castles of Puivert as well as the surrounding landscape.
photos
Old castle
new Castle
Round tower
chapel
Others
Several films benefited from the impressive backdrop of Puivert Castle in some scenes:
- The Passion of Beatrice (1987) Director: Bertrand Tavernier ; Leading role: Julie Delpy
- The nine gates (1999) director: Roman Polański ; Leading role: Johnny Depp
- Nomads of the Skies - The Secret of the Migratory Birds (2001) Director: Jacques Perrin and others
- Lady Godiva (2008) Director: Vicky Jewson; Leading role: Phoebe Thomas
literature
- Michèle Aué: The land of the Cathars. Vic-en-Bigorre 1992, ISBN 2-907899-46-5 , p. 52ff.
Web links
- Puivert Castle website (French)
- Château de Puivert - floor plans, photos + information (French)
- Château de Puivert - Photos + Info (French)
- Château de Puivert - Photos + Info (French)
- Château de Puivert - Photos and information (Engl.)
- Puivert Castle, console figures in the musicians' hall - photos
- Puivert Castle - photos + information
- Puivert Castle - photo video
Individual evidence
- ↑ Château de Puivert in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)