Arques Castle

Twenty-five minutes from Quillan, Arques castle is situated on the plain of Cathar country and has its keep intact.
In the 12th century, Arques was a fortified village situated within the powerful house of Terme. Its lot changed after the Crusade.

In 1231, the royal powers took residence in the former Trencavel domains, but the seigneury of Arques was given to Pierre de Voisins, former lieutenant to Simon de Montfort. At the end of the 13th century, his son Gilles de Voisins, rebuilt the village as a bastide and began construction of the present-day castle. At the start of the 14th century, the village again housed a small Cathar community.

In the centre of the village, the house in which the erudite and spiritualist Déodat Roché was born, now houses an exhibition which attemptsm using his works, to revive the idea of Catharism. His house is open to the public and there is a permanent exhibition on Catharism, demonstrating different ways in which the medieval dissidence has been tackled throughout history.

More information at: www.chateau-arques.fr

The highlights:

• Visit the house of Cathar historian Déodat Roché in the village of Arques.
• Go hiking from Arques lake through the Rialsesse forest to admire the views over the village.