Vassals of Aragon

James of Aragon controls some part of the region through his vassals.

The counts of Foix served the counts of Toulouse in the 11th and 12th centuries, but Raymond Roger I, the fifth Count of Foix, a troubadour and a relative of Raimond VI of Toulouse, was imprisoned by the Bishop of Urgell for a time in 1203, before being freed by Peter II of Aragon and swearing fealty to him. Raymond Roger I is famed for his generalship, chivalry, fidelity, and affection for haute couture. He is not just a patron of troubadours, but an author of verse himself. Although he is not a Cathar, Raymond Roger I married one and fought against Simon de Montfort in the Albigensian Crusade.

Charlemagne established the town of Foix. The Chateau de Foix, a castle built upon a seventh century fortification, served as a refuge for persecuted Cathars during the Crusade. It overlooks the town with its large, round tower. The castle withstood several crusader assaults and the rock beneath it is rumored to be honeycombed with caves. Technically a part of the Pyrenees Marches, Foix is quite active in the lands of Toulousain and Narbonnais.

The monastery of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, which was established in 1104, houses the skeletal relics of St. Volusien, the patron saint of Foix who was kidnapped and tortured to death by Visigoths. A substantial structure, it is built with red sandstone and includes a church with three naves. The monastery serves as the spiritual and social center of Foix, and enjoys a Divine aura of 4.

Raymond Berenguer IV rules the county of Provence in 1220, having escaped Templar captivity, married Beatrice of Savoy, and consolidated his inheritance. The land has seen Italian, Arabic, Frankish and now Catalan rulers. The river Durance acts as its border with the lands of Toulouse. Throughout this region, cathedrals and abbeys built in the 12th century often have fortress-like qualities to serve as protection for residents from pirate raids. The area is detailed further in Chapter 8: Arelat.