Once the possession of the bishops of Couserans, Tourtouse preserves precious testimonies of its history, from the 12th to the 17th century. The first mention of Tourtouse, Tortoz, appears in the bull of Pope Celestine III (15 September 1195), addressed to Laurent bishop of Couserans, by which he took under his protection the property of the bishopric. Tourtouse therefore belonged to an episcopal seigneury which included, in addition to the city of Saint-Lizier, the entire upstream part of the Lens valley. The castle, the church and a mill already existed. The medieval castle stood on a rocky bar, a «roque», inside a meander of the river, hence perhaps the name of Tourtouse, from the Latin tortuosus: tortuous, sinuous. The peduncle of the meander to the southwest was probably blocked by a ditch that a drawbridge allowed to cross: it remains a solid masonry. Of the medieval castle also remain the outline of the perimeter wall, rebuilt later, and the first two levels of the quadrangular
Access
Parking à proximité, accès handicapé.
Website
https://tourtousecommune.fr
Phone
06 27 20 33 99

Address
Rue du donjon, 09230 Tourtouse, Ariège, Occitanie, France