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Origin and history

The Castle of Terride, originally called the Castle of Mirepoix, is a castral building whose first records date back to the middle of the 10th century. He then belonged to the family of Bellissen, vassal of the Viscounts of Carcassonne. A charter of 1061 attests to the donation of the castles of Prouille and Mirepoix to Rangarde de La Marche and his son Roger III de Carcassonne. In 1084, Arnaud Bellissen took an oath of fidelity for Mirepoix at Ermengarde de Carcassonne and his son Bernard Aton IV Trencavel. The discrepancies in the dates of the charters copied in the 17th century suggest that the mention of 960 is incorrect, the first reliable reference dating from 1061.

In the 11th century, the castrum was fitted out with a village and a strong house. The lords of Mirepoix, often coseigneurs, regularly pay homage to the Counts of Foix or Carcassonne. In 1125 Roger de Mirepoix and his cousins sworn fidelity to the Count of Foix, and in 1207 thirty-five coseigneurs granted a charter of customs to the inhabitants, ratified by the Count. In 1229, the seigneury was confiscated and given to Gui de Lévis, lieutenant of Simon de Montfort, who became Gui I of Lévis-Mirepoix. A second castle was built at the end of the 13th century, from which remains a rectangular tower and remains of the enclosure.

The name Terride appeared in the 16th century after the marriage of John VI of Lévis (1540–1607), lord of Mirepoix, with Catherine Ursule de Lomagne (1540–1616), Baroness of Terride. Their younger son, Jean de Lévis (1578–64), inherited the title of Count of Terride and died at the castle in 1664. The building was modified in the 17th century, with the addition of a triangular pediment. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the owner Pierre Dominique Clément Moras, adviser to the Court of Cassation, had the remains of the first fortification destroyed and modernized access, including a three-arched bridge dating from 1662.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1875, the site includes ruins, a grove and a terrace, protected by decree of 1943. Since 1996, restorations have earned the castle an exemplary restoration prize in 2009 for two 15th century chimneys. In 2021, he hosted the Castel Artès festival, and in 2022, he was selected by Mission Stéphane Bern for a heritage development project. Today, it is privately owned, and it opens up to visitors on an ad hoc basis, especially during Heritage Days.

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