The castle’s strategic position and the area’s riches aroused a great deal of envy in the past but, although the castle may have been besieged, it was never taken by force. Indeed the rocky crag soaring some sixty metres above the town ensured that a close watch could be kept, allowing it to be effectively defended. 

Whether as a stately home, barracks, a prison or a museum, the “lives” of this fortified building have allowed it to survive. Regularly maintained over the centuries and then restored, this castle is in an excellent state of repair.