Name -
Chateau de Miramont
Location -
Barbaira
Department -
Aude 11
State -
Chateau Ruin
The Chateau de Miramont is located in a very advantageous position, it dominates the valley of the Aude, from the viewpionts its possible to see on the area of Carcassonne, the Montagne Noire and Minervois and the Corbieres.
Classified a historic building in 1936, the Chateau de Miramont or d'Alaric is mentioned for the 1st time in 1063.
Today, the castellum presents the ruins of a rectangular donjon with a plan of two enclosures,
The Chateau de Miramont is sat at an altitude of 340m, dominating the village of Barbaira, existing constructions of the southern wall of the quadrangular donjon still survive
High and low enclosing walls
A text of 779 indicates that Miramont supervised the neighbouring country, then occupied by the sarrazins.
1053 - First quotation of an agreement made between Roger III of Carcassonne and Roger I, count of Foix for the possession of this castle.
The castle is attested to the XIth century.
1149 - The castle is quoted in the documents of the Abbey de Lagrasse.
1211 - Destruction of the castle during the Albigensian Crusade by the men of the duke of Montfort.
In 1213 the castle is under the authority of Raimon-Roger de Foix, count of foix, suzerain of the king Pierre II of Aragon.
The Chateau de Miramont is used as refuge by many perfects in particular Bernard de Salsenac, Raimond Tournier, Guillaume de Lagleize, Guilhabert de Castres, Bernard Marty.
This explains the local tradition which states that Miramont was the last cathare chateau. However historically the last chateau to fall was eight years later the Chateau of Niort-du-Sault.
In 1247, the castle of Miramont is shaved by Roger IV of Foix which strips under pretext of heresy Raymond de Rabat of all his goods. That will make him take a lawsuit to complain in 1250.
Access is via a small track between Barbaira and Monze (4/5 kms from Barbaira and 6km from Monze).
The surroundings of the site having been occupied as of the Bronze Age, the Gallo-Roman ones having been able to use this single place like oppidum, the assumptions are numerous. But the history of Miramont is to date far from being really known.
