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Origin and history

Castelpor Castle, also known as Castel Pouron, is a Kosigothic castrum probably located on a rocky piton near the hamlet of Taffine, on the commune of Marsa (Aude). His first records date back to 994, when Bernard Odon gave his wife the castles of Aniort, Castelpor and Belfort-sur-Rebenty. This strategic site would have been the center of a rich fief including Marsa, Quirbajou and forest territories like the Ganges.

In the 12th century, the lord of Castelpor, a member of the family of Aniort (or Niort), lent allegiance to Raymond de Trencavel, Count of Razès. Half a century later, he resisted Simon de Montfort during the Albigois Crusade, before the fortress became a royal possession. The sources suggest its subsequent destruction by the Spanish armies, especially in 1473, where the neighbouring village is reduced to ashes.

The lords of Niort, dispossessed after the crusade, tried in vain to recover their property. They eventually left Castelpor in the 15th century, while maintaining their prestige in Languedoc thanks to alliances with noble families such as the Lévis or the Dax. The site, which is difficult to access, is gradually abandoned. Today, only sections of walls remain, silent witnesses to medieval conflicts in Saultland.

Castrum was inserted into a broken medieval settlement network, typical of the Pyrenean valleys. Hamlets such as Boulude (attested in 955), Coudersi or Touzeil disappeared between the 14th and 15th centuries, victims of the crises of the lower Middle Ages. Castelpor, with its defensive and seigneurial role, illustrates this territorial organization inherited from the Carolingian era.

Architecturally, the site was limited to a fortified rocky piton, probably surrounded by wood or stone constructions that are now extinct. Unlike other castles in the region, Castelpor was never rebuilt after its destruction, which explains the current state of ruin. Missing excavations or archaeological studies leave uncertainties about its exact plan or interior arrangements.

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