Bruniquel castle is often called Châteaux de Bruniquel (i.e. castles, plural). This is because, two centuries after its construction, the castle was shared between two branches of the Comminges house, hence château vieux (old castle) and château jeune (young castle).
According to Gregory of Tours, the Merovingian Queen Brunehaut or Brunhilda built the first castle, 'château vieux' or 'castel Biel in the 6th century on the site of a Roman castrum.
Of the early 12th century castle, the only remains are partial foundations, parts of walls and the keep, the so-called Tour de Brunehaut. The site has been altered at various times, notably in the 13th, 15th, 17th and 19th centuries.
The 'château vieux' still has its keep from the 12th century, an era when the castle was the property of the Counts of Toulouse, and its residence from the 13th century. It also has a Renaissance gallery; other parts have undergone extensive remodelling in the 18th and 19th centuries. The keep is named after Brunehaut (la tour de la Reine Brunehaut).
The 'château jeune' dominates the confluence of the rivers Aveyron and Vère from a height of 90 m. It was built between 1485 and 1510 and was remodelled during the Baroque period. Its Renaissance gallery has six arcades.
The whole site has been classified as a historic monument since 1840 and has recently been restored. The castle is open to the public from March to mid-November.
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The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.