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A speed(look) of counts' castle of fairies above all an impregnable fortress, Foix's castle, raised(drawn up) on an impressive cliff to the confluence of the Ariege and the Arget, dominates for a long time the city.
Succeeding a strengthened (castrum) construction of VII-th and VIII-th centuries, the castle is indicated from 987, in 1002, it fugure in Roger's 1-st will, Count of Carcassonne
which bequeaths the fortress to its younger Bernard.
Indeed, the seigneurial family reigning over the country, had settled down in this place which allowed to command(order) the accesses to the high valley of the Ariege, to watch of this strategic point the low country while protecting itself behind impregnable bulwarks.
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In 1034, the castle becomes administrative centre of Foix's county and plays a determining role in the medieval military history. For both next centuries, the castle shelters counts to the brilliant personalities who were the soul of the resistance occitane during the crusade against albigeois and their county became the refuge privileged by the Cathar persecuted.
Until the revolution, the fortress lives seat of garrison. The life is enamelled by grand receptions during come from the governors among whom the count de Tréville, captain of the musketeers of Louis XIII, and the marshal de Ségur, Minister of Louis XVI. The round Tower amounted to the XV-th century is the most recent, both square towers having been built before XI-th century. They served as political and civil prison for 4 centuries until 1862. Since 1930, the castle shelters the collections of the Local museum of the Ariege. At present, the museum redeploys collections around the history of the site of the castle attempting to restore the life in Foix
in the time of the counts.
Information with the Castle or with the Office of Foix's tourism.
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