User Reviews
Le Trépied is a prehistoric passage grave built during the Neolithic period (4000 to 2500 BC). It is a single chamber tomb, 5.5 metres in length and two metres at its widest point with three capstones, one of which was returned to its original position in the 1870s after it had fallen off.
Excavations in 1840 discovered pottery and flint arrowheads dating to 1800BC showing that the site was still in use then. The tomb was repeatedly mentioned in the 17th century witch trials as a meeting place for witches and as the venue for the sabbats. One story says that the witches used to perform chants mocking the Virgin Mary whose shrine of Notre Dame de Lihou once stood on the nearby island which can be seen from the headland where the tomb stands.
References: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.