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Founded: 13th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)
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Built on a height of 330 meters overlooking the valley of the Agout and hillsides of Lauragais, the site of Château de Magrin may have been occupied by a Gallic oppidum, converted into Roman castrum, and then reworked by the Visigoths.
The first written record of the château dates from 7 August 1224, when the chatelain put himself under the protection of the Count of Toulouse, Raymond VII. In 1279, a notarial act attributed his property to the Brenguier family of Puylaurens. During the Hundred Years War, a gang of bandits used it as a base for their raiding raids in the surrounding area, and, in 1502, it belonged to the Corneilhan family. During the wars of religion, its occupants became Protestants, and were welcoming of Henry of Navarre, soon to be Henry IV, in 1585.
Written traces are rarer, but it is likely that it was sold as a national good during the Revolution. It was partially burned as some traces testify, then was consolidated, allowing him to maintain a state of conservation.
In 1971, it was bought by a Mr. Rufino, the current owner who restored it in its entirety.
Today the castle houses a museum dedicated to pastel. A vaulted room contains period documents, fabrics dyed with blue pastel, and old tools for the craft. There's a dryer that could hold up to 100,000 pastel balls called cocagne.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.