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Reigning
atop a tall hill overlooking the village of Najac, the
earliest castle was built about 1100 by Bertrand of St.
Gilles, brother of Raimond IV, Count of Toulouse, with
the square donjon as its strong point. In 1185 the
English occupied the castle, but in 1196 Raimond VI of
Toulouse married the sister of Richard the Lion-Hearted
and the castle returned peacefully into French hands. The
castle was greatly enlarged in 1253 by Alphonse of
Poitiers, the brother of the French King Louis IX. The
five round towers, including the new donjon, were blended
into the older castle, and a labyrithine set of apparent
and concealed stairways and passageways were constructed
to confuse an enemy but allow rapid and strategic
deployment of troops. The castle was 'state of the art'
and could be defended by as little as 30 men.
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