 All that is left of this older castle is a few sections of wall to the east.A collapse of the natural dam on the lake at the foot of the site caused the destruction of part of the town of Mirepoix, 30 km to the north, in Ariège in 1279.According to legend, this was because a certain Dame Blanche wanted to daydream on the lake shores, which were inaccessible in bad weather.