First mention of Saint Andrew's Church 1011 (≈ 1011)
Quoted in a bubble of Pope Serge IV.
1109-1117
First mention of the castle
First mention of the castle 1109-1117 (≈ 1113)
Under the name *Rocha Samardana* in a document.
Fin XIIIe siècle
Reconstruction of the castle
Reconstruction of the castle Fin XIIIe siècle (≈ 1395)
Ordained after the Albige crusade.
XVIe siècle
Abandonment of the castle
Abandonment of the castle XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
End of occupation by garrison.
27 octobre 2015
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 27 octobre 2015 (≈ 2015)
Registration of remains and church.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The remains of the castle of Sabarda and of the old church of St Andrew, in whole, including the ground of plots B 468 to 472, place-dite Lou Castel Sabarda, as delimited and hashished in red on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 27 October 2015
Key figures
Serge IV - Pope
Cite the church of St Andrew in 1011.
Roi de France ou roi d'Aragon - Suspected Sponsor
Order the reconstruction at the end of the 13th century.
Origin and history
The castle of Sabarda, located on a rocky piton south of the hamlet of Vilasse in Fenouillet (Pyrénées-Orientales), was a key element of the medieval defensive system of the region. Positioned opposite the Vicomtal castle Saint-Pierre, it completed the protection of the valley alongside Castel-fizel castle in Caudies-de-Fenouillèdes. Its strategic location made it possible to control sight angles inaccessible from the main castle, thus strengthening the surveillance of the old border between the kingdoms of France and Aragon.
The first mention of the site, under the name of Rocha Samardana, dates back to an archival document dated between 1109 and 1117. The ruins visible today correspond to a reconstruction undertaken at the end of the 13th century, probably on the order of the King of France or the King of Aragon, after the Crusade of the Albigens. The castle housed a small royal garrison until its abandonment in the 16th century. At his feet, to the north, are the remains of the ancient church of St Andrew, quoted from 1011 in a papal bubble as part of the heritage of the monastery of St Peter of Fenouillet.
Ranked a historic monument in 2015, Castel Sabarda illustrates medieval secondary military architecture, homogeneous and functional. The site, freely accessible, offers an exceptional panorama of Fenouillet, Saint-Pierre Castle and Bugarach Pech. The remains, including the soil of the surrounding plots, are now partly communal and private property. Their recent restoration is part of a broader program of valorizing local heritage, initiated during the work on the nearby vicomtal castle.
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