350px The Château de Padern is a ruined

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in the '' commune'' of

Padern Padern (; Languedocien: ''Padèrn'') is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. Population Monuments *The Château de Padern is a ruined castle that stands on a hill overlooking the village. See also * Corbières AOC * Commune ...

in the

Aude Aude (; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Ca ...

'' département'' of France. It is one of the so-called

Cathar castles Cathar castles (in French ''Châteaux cathares'') are a group of medieval castles located in the Languedoc region. Some had a Cathar connection in that they offered refuge to dispossessed Cathars in the thirteenth century. Many of these sites were ...

Position

The castle was built overlooking the village of Padern on a limestone peak that dominates the Verdouble river running past the village. The paths to reach it are very steep, which made it practically impregnable.

History

The castle is little known in the area, because it did not play a very important part during the crusade against the Albigensians, unlike the neighbouring castles of Termes, Queribus or Peyrepertuse. The exact year of construction is not known, but the village of Padern is recorded in 899, when Charles III, known as Charles the Simple, ceded the territory to

Lagrasse Abbey The Abbey of St. Mary of Lagrasse (French: ''Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse'' or ''Abbaye Sainte-Marie-d'Orbieu'') is a Romanesque abbey in Lagrasse, southern France, whose origins date to the 7th century. It is located in Languedoc, near the C ...

, while the latter still belonged to the

Counts of Toulouse The count of Toulouse ( oc, comte de Tolosa, french: comte de Toulouse) was the ruler of Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the Frankish kings, the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surroundin ...

, and not to the crown of France. The fortification is mentioned for the first time in 1026, and a secondary fortification (''forcia'') at the end of the 12th century, placed under the control of the Abbey of Lagrasse. During the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (; 1209–1229) was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown ...

, Chabert de Barbeira, companion in arms of

Olivier de Termes Olivier de Termes (1200 – 12 August 1274) was a knight from the southern French region of Termes, Aude. He was raised as a Cathar but eventually converted to Catholicism in a move that would help restore peace to his homeland following the ravages ...

, protector of the Cathars and lord of Quéribus, seized the place. After the capture of Quéribus, he negotiated his freedom for the abandonment of the citadels to King Louis IX. The Abbey of Lagrasse thus recovered the castle, and in 1283, became the official proprietor through a transaction with Philip III of France (Philippe the Bold). The abbey remained the owner until 1579. At the end of the 16th century, after the Wars of Religion, Pierre de Vic, originally from Girona ( Catalonia), acquired the castle and made some additions, though conserving its feudal aspect. In 1706, his descendants resold the whole property to the Abbey of Lagrasse, which abandoned it at the end of the 18th century.

Today

The castle is no more that ruins. Not being classified as a

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

, the site is completely forsaken, and its state worsens day by day.

Gallery

Image:Château de Padern2.jpg, The castle Image:Château de Padern3.jpg, The castle Image:Padern et Château.jpg, The village and the castle Image:Padern et Château2.jpg, The village and the castle

External links

Ministry of Culture photos

Bibliography

Jacques-Alphonse Mahul Jacques-Alphonse Mahul (31 July 1795 - 25 August 1871) was a French columnist and politician. A liberal activist, he was affiliated with the Carbonari, and was imprisoned for some time at La Force Prison. He participated in the editing of many ...

: ''Cartulaire et Archives des communes de l'ancien diocèse et de l'arrondissement administratif de Carcassonne'' * * Agnès and Robert Vinas : ''La conquête de Majorque'' Ruined castles in Occitania (administrative region) Castles in Aude Catharism {{France-castle-stub