Arzens : Castle

From the 11th century, the seigneury of Arzens was coveted by the counts of Foix to the detriment of the counts of Carcassonne. At the beginning of the 14th century, it was transferred from the Counts of Foix to the house of Armagnac, then, in 1404, to the house of Lévêque, which kept it until the end of the 17th century. The castle was in the hands of one of the co-lords. It does not seem that he occupied a predominant position in the ancient fortified village. It could even be built outside the old enclosure and was only integrated by the 16th century ramparts. Arzens was affected by the 16th century civil wars, especially when the Spanish was taken by the Spanish of the Joyeuse party in 1591. This event probably marked the end of the use of the castle as a stately residence. The building is a large three -story square. The north side of the castle, oriented towards the countryside, was initially without openings or endowed with loopholes. The western wall has a two bay window with a column and a marquee decorated with foliage. The polygonal base has an overflowing torus on small consoles, and the arcade is made up of two blocks of sandstone.