CHÂTEAU D’ARQUES

Mentioned for the first time in written sources in the 11th century, Arques is then qualified as a villa, i.e. a village, under the form Villa de Archas. However, the actual village has kept a lordly tower which is today the bell tower of the church. Arques was not an important stronghold when the Crusade against the Albigensians began in 1209. It seems that Simon de Montfort took possession of the village after the fall of the castle of Termes in the summer of 1210. In 1260, Arques was sold to Pierre de Voisins, a former comrade in arms of Simon de Montfort. It is there that his descendants decide to settle, near the village, at the end of the 13th century. Around 1280, they built a fortified house, a seigneurial residence, of which only the keep remains today. Classified as a historical monument in 1887, this fortified house was built on the edge of the oak-beech forest of La Rialsesse. With 11 meters on each side and 25 meters high, it is a masterpiece of Gothic art and military architecture. The four levels can be visited, as well as the two levels of the tower house located at the southwest corner of the outer wall. Small quizzes are displayed in each room to make the visit of the children more playful. The idea is to be developed! You can end your visit with a stop at the castle's honey store, which has many gourmet curiosities. You can also pass by the Maison Déodat Roché (1887-1978), one of the first historians of Catharism, whose museum is dedicated to his history and research on Catharism.

If you want to immerse yourself in this castle in an original way, the Escape Game proposed in this real setting is made for you!