Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Castelnou Castle, mentioned as castrum novum since 988-990, was built on the territory of an ancient castle (Castro Camelas, cited in 941). It became the seat of the Comtal power of Besalú in Vallespir, under the authority of Oliba Cabreta (v. 920-990), Count of Cerdagne and Besalú. At his death, the castle was passed on to his sons, Bernard Taillefer (count of Besalú) and Guifred II (count of Cerdagne), marking the beginning of his central role in the Viscount of Castelnou.

In 1018 Guillaume I, delegate of the Count of Besalú, took the title of Viscount of Castelnou, extending his authority over Vallespir and its fortresses (Ponellà, Cameles, Corbera, etc.). The castle remained the vicomtal residence until 1286, when it was taken by James II of Majorca during the crusade of Aragon. Returned in 1299 by the Treaty of Argeles, he changed his hands several times before being sold to the family of Llupia (XIVth–XVIIIth centuries), then abandoned and partially dismantled.

In the 19th century, Ernest de Satgé (1876–97) undertook a major restoration, adding neo-medieval elements (windows, crenelages) and making the castle habitable. After a fire in 1981, it was bought in 2018 by the Conseil départemental des Pyrénées-Orientales for 1 euro symbolic. Security work should allow its reopening to the public, highlighting its hybrid architecture (Xth–XIXth centuries) and its vicomtal history.

Architecturally, the castle adopts an irregular pentagonal plan, with thick walls (3 m) dating partly from the 10th century, reinforced in the 11th–XIVth centuries. The large hall (n°5), perhaps ancient chapel Saint-Pierre (cited in 1020), illustrates the superposition of styles: medieval schist bases, Gothic windows (XIIIe), and 19th additions. The commons and stables, rebuilt in the 19th century, complete the whole, while the ramparts, initially devoid of towers, reflect a primitive Poliorcetic.

The Viscount of Castelnou, removed in 1321, gave way to a succession of owners (Fenouillet, Bérenger de Castelnou) before its decline. The castle, used as a stone quarry in the 17th to 18th centuries, now embodies a Catalan heritage marked by medieval conflicts (Majorque, Aragon) and romantic restorations. Its recent acquisition aims to preserve this witness from the feudal history of the Roussillon.

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