Château cathare

In the XI and XII centuries, Terms constitute the capital of a large estate. In 1061, the Lord is the constituency dominated by the castle: the Termenès. According to the opportunities, the lords of terms will increase their field, will allow such conflicts with periodic Abbey Lagrasse. When the Albigensian crusades are triggered, the lordship of Arques extends west to east Aguilar. Terms of Raimond then one of the most powerful vassals of Trencavel. Involved in the Cathar heresy, he fought the crusade. When in August 1210, Simon de Montfort decided to submit words "breathtaking" is one of the crucial episodes of the crusade taking place. The defenders will stand near four months. But ultimately, it is water scarcity and dysentery that because of the besieged: November 23, 1210, they flee ... Raymond of Termes, is imprisoned and his property is entrusted to Alain de Roucy cross. Temporarily taken during the breakup of the Crusaders to 1223, the castle became a royal fortress French in 1228. While the castle was gradually increased, the habitat adjacent castral was evacuated in 1257. Henceforth, the terms constitute a fortress defending the border, one of the "Five son of Carcassonne." A royal garrison would occupy for four centuries. Terms of Olivier's son, Raimond, distinguished himself in many battles, both against the king, or, having submitted in 1248, a crusade to Palestine. The demolition of the castle was decided in 1652, seven years before the Treaty of the Pyrenees away from the border. The site comes out of oblivion when the first safeguards involved in the middle of the twentieth century. It is classified a historical monument in 1989.