Seix is a
commune in the southwestern French
department of
Ariège.
Population
Inhabitants of Seix are called ''Seixois''.
Sights
* The
Château de Mirabat, a Middle Ages
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
, known to be in ruins in the 14th century, is in the communes of Seix,
Oust
The Oust (; br, Oud) is a river in Brittany, France, right tributary of the Vilaine. It is long. Its source is in the hills between Corlay and Quintin. It flows generally southeast, through the following ''départements'' and towns:
* Côtes ...
and
Ustou. Situated on the western end of the ridge of Mirabat, it looks directly over the town, and dominates the three valleys providing approaches to the north or south. It was once linked to a smaller fortification lower down on the southern slope which was possibly an intermediate 'barracks'. The castle was commissioned by Charlemagne (Charles Magna, or 'King Charles', of the 'Carol-ingian' dynasty that was to rule France for many years, having deposed the long haired 'Merovingian' dynasty of before) at the turn of the 10th century. Raiding south into more barbarous lands, he needed to protect his lines of communication and possible retreat, this pass through the mountains being a key link, and possible 'bottleneck'. It would almost certainly have served as a signal station also. A previous less informed expedition, returning through the western Pyrenees region, had become strung out on the march and was ransacked and destroyed by the tough mountain inhabitants. Built (and possibly garrisoned) by the townsfolk, they were thereafter made 'free men' by the King in gratitude for their service. It was almost certainly a wooden structure in the beginning, being upgraded to stone maybe a century later, as its importance increased entering the Feudal period. Much of the shape, and a metre or so of the wall, still survives nearly a millennia later.
See also
*
Communes of the Ariège department
The following is a list of the 327 communes of the Ariège department of France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions ...
References
Communes of Ariège (department)
Languedoc
Ariège communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
{{Ariège-geo-stub