View Back from Ramparts to the Grand Chatelet
The west side of the castle presents a steep stone wall above an even steeper escarpment (facing the lower town). The bases are Gallo-Roman in origin. Above and within the wall are three towers and the castle. The right tower is the oldest, tallest and rectangular (The Pinto Tower). These sturdy defenses are dubbed the “Grand Chatelet”. On the rising ground an ascending path leads to the Aude Gate from the church of St. Gimer. It ultimately enters a battlemented angular path passing the base of the Justice Tower and the covered gallery to gain entry to the gate. Above at this point is a large machicolation on consoles.(Our only picture of this from below is a night shot). The typical murder-hole is now covered by an iron grating.