Arques is located in the Pyrénées mountains some 25 km south-east of Limoux and 25 km north-east of Quillan. Access to the commune is by the D613 road from Serres in the west passing through the village and continuing to Albières in the east. The D54 goes north from the village to Valmigère. At the commune border the D70 branches from the D54 and follows a tortuous route to Bouisse. The commune is an alpine commune with rugged terrain but with some farms in the valley.[3]
The Rialsesse river flows through the centre of the commune and the village from east to west gathering many tributaries. In the south the Ruisseau de Lait, with many tributaries rising in the commune, flows north-west into the Lac d'Arques (Arques Lake) which feeds the Rialsesse.[3]
The area was owned by the Abbey of Lagrasse in the early 11th century, before coming under the control of the Lords of Termes. In 1231 the region was given by Simon de Montfort to Pierre de Voisins after the Albigensian Crusade. His successor, Gilles de Voisins, began the construction of the castle in 1280 and the organization of the Bastide. It was the northern barons who came to occupy the land of the Cathar heretics under the order of Pope Innocent III.
The dynasty of Voisins was extinguished in 1518 with the marriage of Françoise with Jean de Joyeuse, a member of the House of Joyeuse who therefore became the owner of the lordship and barony of Arques. Arques castle was abandoned in favour of the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse (Castle of the Dukes of Joyeuse) in Couiza. Lords and barons of Arques-barons were hereditary barons of Languedoc (Pays d'états) and had a permanent seat in the Estates of Languedoc.
Heraldry
Arms of the Commune of Arques
This design is the interpretation of Henri Sivade
Commune of Arques Blazon: Vert, Party per fess Argent chapé chaussé of one in the other.[4][5]
Arms of Hozier
The Armorial of General d'Hozier shows this picture which can be emblazoned as follows:[6]
Blazon: Party per fess, Vert and Argent, vêtu of one in the other.
An Altar Cross and 6 Candlesticks (18th century)[17]
A Retable and Tabernacle in the south side chapel (17th century)[18]
Chateau d'Arques Picture Gallery
The chateau
Interior
A door
The ceiling
The keep
The entrance
Windows
Arch
The keep in the 19th century
Notable people linked to the commune
Pierre de Voisins (1177–1233), Lord of Voisins-le-Bretonneux, then Limoux, Arques, Reddes, Caderonne, Couiza, and Bugarach. In 1191 he went on the Third Crusade. In 1209 he took part in the Albigensian Crusade. Lieutenant of Simon de Montfort who entrusted him with several lordships in Carcassonne and Razes after the fall of the Château de Termes. He was Baron of Arques.
^Charles d'Hozier, Armorial General of Persons, Places, Companies, Corps, and Communities of the department of Aude, Imprimerie François Pomiès, Augustin Cornet-Peyrusse, 1876, Carcassonne, 124 pages, Read online(in French)
^Arms of the communes of the department of Aude, Departmental Archives of Aude, Henri Sivade, 1996, Carcassonne, 128 pages, ISBN2-86011-012-7(in French)
^Armorial General of France, prepared under the edict of 1696. Vol. 15: Languedoc (Part 2), Charles d'Hozier, Read online(in French)