The Tour Barberousse is in the coastal village of Gruissan

Gruissan

Gruissan is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.-Population:...

 in the Aude

Aude

Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother...

 département of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

The tower is all that remains of a castle built at the end of the 10th century to observe the approaches to the harbour at Narbonne

Narbonne

Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...

 and to guard against seaborne invasions of the city. Built on a steep, rocky hill, the castle was enlarged in the 12th century by the Archbishops of Narbonne, Guillaume de Broa.

In the 16th century it was dismantled on the orders of Richelieu and has been left neglected since then.

Today, the village of Gruissan surrounds the castle remains. The view from the castle site over the village and surrounding coastline is quite spectacular. The tower and the ruins of the castle are listed as a monument historique

Monument historique

A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...

by the French Ministry of Culture.

External links

• Official site of Gruissan with some parts in English
• Blog with descriptions of this castle Only in French
• Blog with descriptions of all castles in this department with some parts in English
• Ministry of Culture database entry for Tour Barberousse