Château de Puilaurens

As part of the Kingdom of Aragon, the Château de Puilaurens remained untouched during the devastations of the Albigensian Crusade. It served as a sanctuary for Cathars and other individuals who resisted the Crusaders and lost their property, including high-ranking figures such as Guillaume de Peyrepertuse. The fortress was ceded to the French at an unknown date before 1255. In 1258, the property was granted to the French Crown by the Treaty of Corbeil, shifting the border with Aragon southward. In the 13th century, the site belonged to the Fenouillet family and, under Pierre Catala and Guillaume de Peyrepertuse, withstood all attacks by the Crusaders led by Simon IV de Montfort.