Château royal de Collioure

A superb citadel whose foundations plunge into the sea, the château de Collioure was built on the remains of Roman constructions, later transformed in Visigothic times and first cited in 673. Since the end of the war the building has belonged to the Pyrénées-Orientales département, which often organises temporary exhibitions. It is sometimes called the Templars' castle, which is an error insofar as it was built well before the Templars' arrival in Roussillon, in Carolingian times. The confusion comes from the fact that they too had a castle at Collioure, but it was only a fortified house, not comparable with the stronghold discussed here.

Today the château de Collioure has a square keep made of superimposed rooms with rib vaults. When the kings of Aragon took it back they had the hall of the brothers of the Templar convent built.

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