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Origin and history

The Château de Villerouge-Termenès, built at the end of the 11th century and rebuilt in the 13th and 14th centuries, is located in the department of Aude in Occitanie. Originally built as a fortified church, it was transformed into a robust citadel, with a quadrangular enclosure flanked by four round towers. Its architecture reflects the defensive concerns of the time, particularly under the impetus of the Archbishops of Narbonne, who made it a key administrative and military centre in the region.

From 1110, the castle and the village belonged to the archbishops of Narbonne until the Revolution. It served as a seat for one of the eleven baylies (administrative districts) of the Archdiocese, illustrating the integration of the Church into the feudal system. The prelates received tithes and taxes there, and the castle became a symbol of their temporal power, reinforced by successive fortifications, especially in the thirteenth century, perhaps in response to the tensions linked to the Albigesian Crusade.

The monument is sadly famous for having been the place of execution of Guilhem Belibaste, last "good man" Cathar, burned alive on August 24, 1321. This drama is part of the repressive context of the crusade against the Albigois, where the castle played a strategic role. The changes of the 14th century, such as the addition of an ogival portal to the weapons of Archbishop Bernard de Farges (1311-1341), testify to its lasting importance. Ranked a historic monument in 1976, it now embodies a medieval heritage, both military and religious.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its southeast dungeon, divided into three rooms superimposed on thick walls, and a crenellated terrace. The large room preserves a beam painted with the weapons of Bernard de Farges. The village, once lined with partially preserved ramparts, extended east of the fortress. The construction campaigns, spreading from the 11th to the 16th century, reveal a constant adaptation to the defensive and political needs of its ecclesiastical lords.

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