Château de Cas

The castle, a defensive stronghold, was built in the 9th century on a site occupied by the Gallo-Romans. It was part of the possessions of the commandery of La Capelle-Livron during the Hospitaller period. It was remodeled in the 14th century and then in the 17th century. The garden dates from the 18th century (the current one is only inspired by it, having been destroyed in the past), as does the dovecote. Claude-Marie, Count of Lastic Saint-Jal, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Aiguillon, cavalry brigadier and governor of Carcassonne, settled there during the 18th century: in 1787, he married Henriette de Lacapelle, daughter of the owner of the premises, then a widow. The chapel, which dates from 960, houses the family vault. The castle has never been put up for sale since 1437, being passed down from generation to generation and through successive alliances. Heavily damaged during the Revolution (furniture plundered, coats of arms burned, keep and a tower lowered), it was restored at the end of the 19th century (roof and windows), then again damaged during the Second World War: indeed, the owners had hidden ammunition for the Free French Forces in a room in the basements and then walled it up. Learning that they had been denounced, they nevertheless had time to move them to caves located in the surrounding cliffs. The Germans therefore searched in vain for the ammunition and, in retaliation, damaged the castle. It was restored from the 1980s by Lyonnel and Jeanne de Lastic.