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Origin and history

The Château de Blanchefort is an ancient castle built on a white rocky peak, at the origin of its name ("the white fort"). Its strategic location overlooks the confluence of Sals and Rialesse, tributaries of Aude. The first recorded traces date back to 1067 under the name castrum de Blancafortis, although a 10th century Visigoth castrum may have existed on the site. A legend attributes its construction to Blanche de Castille, who came to Rennes-les-Bains, but this hypothesis remains uncertain.

In the Middle Ages, the castle changed hands several times: it belonged first to the abbey of Jaffus (1100), then to that of Alet (1119), before being controlled by the Viscount Bernard-Aton IV Trencavel in 1125. A 12th century legend evokes a gold mine exploited by the Templars, but it would in reality be a wisigoth treasure rediscovered. In 1209, during the crusade of the Albigois, Simon de Montfort took over the castle, then joined the cathars. The seigneur Guillaume de Blanchefort fled, and Pierre de Voisins, an ally of Montfort, took control of it and imposed heavy taxes.

The castle was enlarged in the 14th century, but its importance declined with the arrival of the cannons (16th century) and the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), which made its border position obsolete. Abandoned in the 18th century, it no longer appeared on the maps in 1713. Today, only ruins remain: traces of courtines, foundations of a 7-metre square dungeon, and a deep tank. Access to the courtyard was once made by a ladder, the door perched on a cliff.

The site is associated with local legends, such as the Wisigoth treasure or the Templars, but also with the turbulent history of medieval Occitania, marked by conflicts between lords, abbeys and royal powers. Its modest architecture reflects its role as a secondary fortress, despite its involvement in the crusade against the Albigois.

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