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Penne (Municipality, Tarn, France)

Presentation of Penne
Flag observed on the castle of Penne

See also:

Presentation of Penne

Penne (Occitan: Pena, meaning 'feather' - 584 inhabitants, 6,404 ha) is a commune in the Tarn department.

The first reference to a castle in the village of Penne dates from 825 AD and its first known "señor" was Geoffroi, mentioned in 1096 in documents related to Raymond, Count of Toulouse.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the site of Penne was of military strategic importance, being situated on the borders of the provinces of Albigeois, Quercy and Rouergue, with its fortress perched atop a cliff overlooking the River Aveyron. As such, it was frequently the target of attack, most notably during the Albigensian Crusade, a twenty-year military campaign (1209–1229) initiated by the King Philip II of France and the Roman Catholic Pope Innocent III. The aim of the crusade, the elimination of all Cathars in Southern France, coincided with the French King's political ambition to annex this area to his northern territories.
The castle remained in use, seeing repeated conflicts, such as the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) between England and France, as well as the French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) between Protestants and Roman
Catholics during which it was partly destroyed. It was then abandoned for approximately 400 years.

In 1902 the castle was officially declared to be a "monument historique" of France, after which restoration of the ruins began; the work is still ongoing. The remains of the castle include the dungeon, the ramparts and a chapel.

Olivier Touzeau, 14 October 2025

Flag observed on the castle of Penne

Flag on the castle of Penne - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 14 October 2025

The coat of arms of Penne is blazoned Azure a feather Or, the chief Gules three fleurs de lis Or.
A flag derived from the coat of arms can sometimes be seen on the castle: blue field with three gold fleurs-de-lis and and a feather in white: photo (undated), photo (2018), photo (2024)

Olivier Touzeau, 14 October 2025