CASTLE OF QUILLAN
Castle on a promontory overlooking Quillan, testifying to the military architecture of the and centuries, accessible by a ramp
The castle of Quillan, located on a promontory, dominates the city from the right bank of the river Aude. It was built in the 12th and 13th centuries by the archbishops of Narbonne. Many clashes with the King of France followed. In 1229, a peace treaty marked the end of the crusade against the Albigensians, and Quillan became a Royal City. Two centuries later, the King of France turned it into a military fortification to resist the Aragonese invasions. As a sentry on the border with Spain, the castle housed a garrison of several hundred men. The current remains attest to this fortification, with a quadrangular enclosure of 35 m on each side and walls with bossing. It remains a testimony of the military architecture of the 14th and 15th centuries. The curtain walls, 1.80 m thick, are pierced with archways and large round-headed bays, and it is thought that they were thirteen meters high. The main entrance was located on the north-east side and was protected by a moat, which has now been filled in, as well as by a drawbridge, which has now disappeared. It was listed as a historical monument in 1954. It has not yet regained its 13th century appearance, but it continues its convalescence begun more than twenty years ago. Excavation campaigns have followed one another, restoration of watchtowers or windows, and security measures. The ramp is the only pedestrian way to access the castle, from the rue du château, the oldest street in Quillan on the right bank of the Aude. It is already mentioned in 1713.
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