Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Corbère Castle, mentioned for the first time in 1241 under the name castrum and forcia de Corbaria, is probably from the twelfth century, although remains of the tenth century have been identified. It was enlarged in the 13th and 16th centuries, partially integrating the village walls. Its vaulted lower halls and a 15th-century well margin, named Bernard d-Oms (Lord until 1474), illustrate its medieval architectural evolution.

Over the centuries, the castle changed hands: families of Llupia (1588), Villanova-Caramanyen (1666), then of Boisembert (1680), a period marked by tensions with villagers around seigneurial rights, until the Revolution. In the 19th century, it belonged to Vilar, before falling into ruins after the Second World War. Pilled and abandoned, it was saved in 1970 by architect André Thiébaut, who undertook a major restoration with the help of historian Pierre Ponsich, restoring his original roofs, frames and bays.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1974, the castle had several owners in the 20th century, including an American doctor who reinvigorated it from 1995. On sale in 2012, it was bought in late 2021 by a French couple for 3.2 million euros. Its architecture, inspired by Catalan castles like Castelnou or Collioure, combines defensive elements (barlong tower, merlons) and residential elements, reflecting its dual historical role.

The successive changes, especially in the 13th and 15th centuries, have erased some of its original traces, but the castle retains a marked medieval character. The current courtyard, formerly uncovered capitular hall, and the primitive entrance near the big tower, testify to its original spatial organization. The defence elements, apart from the merlons of the east tower, have now disappeared.

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