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Origin and history

Ferrals Castle, located in the commune of Saint-Papoul in the department of Aude, is an emblematic 16th century building. His name appeared for the first time in 1213, associated with the Counts of Toulouse, before passing under the property of the abbey of Saint-Papoul after the Albige crusade. The ruins of an earlier castle, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, still remain in the park, especially the tower of Queen Marguerite, characteristic with its square base and round floor.

The construction of the new castle is attributed to François I of Rogier, owner in the 16th century. The works, which were in progress in 1565, were reportedly led by architect Geoffre Jearoy (or Jearry), from Ferrals. The building, surrounded by ditches and flanked by six towers (three to the east, three to the west), features a south entrance surrounded by round turrets pierced by murderers. Inside, the layout of the apartments reflects modernity for the time, while a chapel occupies the northwest tower. The castle, registered as a historical monument in 1927, belonged to Henry Dupuy-Mazuel, a journalist and writer, in the 20th century.

Medieval remains, such as niches commanding ditches or vaulted undergrounds, testify to the defensive evolution of the site. The park also retains traces of the old fortifications, while the chapel integrated into the northwest tower highlights the dual residential and spiritual use of the castle. Historical sources, including the Aude Science Society (1896) bulletins and archaeological conventions (1973), document its heritage importance in the region.

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