Château Royal - Collioure

The castle was built between 1242 and 1280. The King Pierre d'Aragon, Peter the Catholic, entrusted this construction project to the Templars and thus Foulques de Montpezat, the commander of Mas Deu. Numerous changes and conversions eventually turned it into a true fortress.

In the Middle Ages, the castle was the summer residence of the kings of Mallorca. The keep is still from this time.
After the Pyrenees Treaty, Louis the 14th commissioned his builder Vauban to build the castle into a fortress. Vauban tore off the old town to make way for the citadel with its massive bastions. This huge bulwark is very impressive and definitely worth a visit. The visit costs 4 € for adults.

It represents the core of the defenses and was built on Roman foundations. The main part of the construction work took place during the time of the Counts of Roussillon and the Kings of Aragon between 1276 and 1344 and was then the summer residence of the Kings of Mallorca. The castle was then occupied by the Sparnians until it fell back into French hands in 1642. During this time, Vauban had the outer curtain wall built and the glacis razed. The castle, which is listed as a historical monument, was completely restored in 1922. Today there is an exhibition and a play.