Châteaux de Lastours

The four castles are on a rocky spur above the village of Lastours, isolated by the deep valleys of the Orbeil and Grésilhou rivers.

Cabaret, Surdespine and la Tour Régine stand in line, while Quertinheux is built on a separate pinnacle close by.

The fortress at this time belonged to Pierre-Roger de Cabaret follower of Raymond Roger Trencavel, who fought at his side during the defence of Carcassonne.

Traces of the villages can be found on the west flank of the hill arranged in a semicircle following the contours around the manor house.

The castle village sheltered numerous 'Perfects' homes and the Cathar bishops went to stay in Cabaret: Arnaud Hot, Pierre Isarn and Guiraud Abith.

The Lastours castles held out as a centre of opposition to the conquests of Simon de Montfort, who determined to wipe them out.

In this, he was bound to fail, having to launch simultaneous attacks on three castles protected by sheer rockfaces and defended by a nobleman who, though not a Cathar, was aware of the importance of the campaign de Montfort was waging against his suzerain, the viscount of Carcassonne.

De Montfort decided against attacking the castles and instead resorted to a cruel ploy that typifies the barbarity of this war.

The ploy failed; the castles put up more resistance and held out until the supposedly impregnable fortress at Termes fell in November 1210.