TreeAlive
‹ Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques, France

Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Château

Foix, Ariège, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, classified (classé)
Protection
classé MH
Extent of protection
Château : classement par liste de 1840
Protection dates
1840 : classé MH
Type
château
Main period of construction
12e siècle, 1er quart 19e siècle
Dates
1741, 1822
Ownership
propriété du département
Commune
Foix
Département
Ariège
Region
Occitanie
Country
France
Coordinates
42.96555, 1.60477
Mérimée reference
PA00093793

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

3 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1776 map "39 St. Lizier, St. Martory." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Get directions ↗

This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

L'origine du château remonte au 10e siècle. La prise du château à la fin du 15e siècle entraîne la destruction des fortifications, des ouvrages avancés, des murs d'enceinte, et le comblement des citernes. Le château fut rebâti en 1741 par le comte de Ségur, gouverneur du pays de Foix. Lorsque le château a été utilisé comme prison, un bâtiment a été construit, adossé à la tour nord. Vers 1820, restauration et agrandissement de la prison départementale. Le château se composait de trois tours. La tour nord contenait le cachot. La tour centrale daterait du 10e siècle. Celle du sud, de plan circulaire, serait du 12e siècle. Une plateforme en encorbellement la termine. L'intérieur est divisé en quatre étages, voûtés en arc de cloître, éclairés chacun par une grande croisée. Entre les tours carrées se trouve un préau formé par une voûte abritant une vaste citerne.

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

The origin of the château goes back to the 10th century. The capture of the château at the end of the 15th century led to the destruction of the fortifications, the outworks, the walls of the enceinte, and the filling in of the cisterns. The château was rebuilt in 1741 by the count of Ségur, governor of the pays de Foix. When the château was used as a prison, a building was constructed, set against the north tower. Around 1820, restoration and enlargement of the departmental prison. The château was composed of three towers. The north tower contained the dungeon. The central tower would date from the 10th century. That of the south, of circular plan, would be from the 12th century. A corbelled platform terminates it. The interior is divided into four storeys, vaulted with cloister vaults, each lit by a large cross-window. Between the square towers is found a courtyard formed by a vault sheltering a vast cistern.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
See your own family's places on a living map