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Origin and history

Miraval Castle, located in Lagarrigue in the Tarn, is an ancient castle, dating back to the twelfth century. Its walls preserve traces of cannons and murderers, attesting to its medieval past. Although its exact origin remains unknown, it was associated from that time with the family of Miraval, vassal of the vicomtes Trencavel, powerful lords of the region.

Miraval's family, from which the troubadour Raimon de Miraval originated, reportedly received this land as a reward for its support of Bernard Aton IV Trencavel. In 1136 Bernard de Miraval, lord of the place, participated in the drafting of the will of Cécile de Provence, Viscountess, and made donations to the Abbey of Notre-Dame de l'Ardorel. However, in 1174, a conflict between Guillaume de Miraval and Roger II Trencavel led to the looting of family property, including the castle.

The building was redesigned during the Renaissance, as evidenced by its architectural elements. In the 19th century, coins from the reigns of Charles IX and Henry III were discovered, and the castle then belonged to Fernand Laval, passionate about veneration. Built on a hill overlooking the Durenque valley, it consists of a house body flanked by two circular towers, surrounded by a garden decorated with boxwood.

Miraval Castle illustrates the links between local nobility and vicomtal power in medieval Occitanie. Its architecture, combining medieval defences and subsequent developments, reflects its evolution throughout the centuries, while maintaining a strategic position facing the Black Mountain and the nearby castles of Arifat and Gaix.

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