 The county became a privileged refuge for persecuted Cathars.The castle, often besieged (notably by Simon de Montfort in 1211 and 1212), resisted assault and was only taken once, in 1486, thanks to treachery during the war between two branches of the Foix family.From the 14th century, the Counts of Foix spent less and less time in the uncomfortable castle, preferring the Governors' Palace ("Palais des gouverneurs").