History

The Castle, a little history….   

(after a study by Gratien Leblanc)

In 1231, during the crusade against the Albigeois, the locality of Couiza is given to Pierre de Voisins, who was to build his own château at Arques.

It was only in 1518, with the marriage of the last surviving member of the Voisins family, Françoise, to Jean de Joyeuse pair et chambrier, appointed by François the first, Governor of Narbonne & Lieutenant General of the Languedoc ; that the building of the Château was undertaken between 1540 & 1550 at his bidding. The construction was continued by his son Guillaume de Joyeuse 111 (1520-1592), who was for some time Bishop of Alet, and then Lieutenant General in 1561.

Couiza formed the center of operations during his campaign against the protestants. The Château was beseiged by the protestants of Alet in 1577, and he was obliged to flee for his life. The Château was pillaged shortly afterwards.

However, Guillaume became Marechal in 1582, and held court at Couiza in fine style. He died in Limoux on the 24th January 1592. He may have been buried at Cordeliers or perhaps at Couiza.

Neither his eldest son, the « Mignon », Baron of Arques, Anne de Joyeuse, Duke and Peer of the Realm by the age of twenty, brother-in-law to Henry 111, nor his five brothers, seem to have taken any interest in the Château of Couiza, which was unfinished at that time.

The only daughter of Henry, widow of Charles de Guise, sells the Castle in 1646 to a nephew of the Bishop of Narbonne, Claude de Réhé. Sometime afterwards declared property of the State, the Château was used in it’s turn as hospital, for the soldiers of Dugommier et Dagobert, gendarmerie, and finally a wool storage place for a hat factory.

The roof collapsed in 1928. The first floor was already overgrown with weeds and thorn bushes, and the end was near.. when happily, the monument was at last restored about 35 years ago.