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Origin and history

The towers of Cabrenc, also known as Cabrenç Castle, form a medieval group in ruins located on the border of the municipalities of Serralongue and Lamanère, in the Haut-Vallespir (Pyrénées-Orientales). Built in the 11th century according to certain sources but with elements dated from the 13th century, this castle was organized around three distinct towers: a tower with signals (1287 m), a median tower housing a garrison (1320 m), and the remains of a seigneurial residence (1338 m). A chapel dedicated to Saint Michael, now gone, completed the whole. The site, accessible via a trail from Lamanère, provided a strategic monitoring point for reporting smoke invasions.

The castle was destroyed in 1667-1675 by order of Vauban, in retaliation against the Catalan revolt of the Angelets, an anti-French uprising led by local peasants and artisans. The ruins, classified as Historical Monument in 1988 (middle tower and remains) and then in 1994 (north tower), bear witness to its complex defensive architecture: successive enclosures, ditches, and lethals protecting access. The north tower, which is polygonal on the outside and quadrangular on the inside, retains three vaulted levels in a broken cradle, while the central tower results from the expansion of a pre-existing building.

Today owned by the municipalities, the site remains a symbol of medieval and Catalan military heritage. It was recently highlighted in 2024, during the passage of the Olympic flame, among 14 towers illuminated for the event. The vestiges, though partial, allow us to imagine the hierarchical structure of the castle: a platform for the chapel, upper enclosure, and vaulted room at the north end. The absence of a major restaurant preserves its authenticity, while limiting the accessibility to a hike from Lamanère (about 2 hours).

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