History of Perillos

 

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A concise history of Perillos

From its appearance in the annals of history in 1114, to its last inhabitant just after the Second World War.

The three chapels of Perillos

There are three chapels in Perillos, which not are only all aligned north-south, contrary to the Christian standard of east-west; they are also on one line, forcing one to ask the question who has been responsible for these enigmatic features.

The church of St Michael (Perillos)

The archangel Michael is the patron saint of the church of Perillos. His presence in Perillos does not seem coincidental. Furthermore, his festival, Michaelmas, was accompanied by many traditions, many of which that were observed in the village.
An easily missed and difficult to read inscription above the church's entrance adds further intrigue to the history of this church.

There are, however, further anomalies about this church, which could be used as an enigmatic refuge at the time of war. This observation leads us to the realisation that underneath, a crypt exists. The third part provides an overview of the successive constructions on the site.

Saint Barbara

Saint Barbara is the patron saint of one section of Perillos, showing its status as a mining centre. But is it possible that this enigmatic saint, who had a specific devotion in Aragon, may have been a layer of veneer to hide a more esoteric truth?

"The White Madonna" of Perillos

On the Monday of Pentecost, Perillos comes back to life again.

The forgotten waters of Perillos, or the unexpected magic of a postcard

Water is a vital ingredient in any village, and it is said that the shortage of water caused the abandonment of Perillos. Alas, the truth must be different, for Perillos always had - and has - an abundant supply of water. And some of it may have been used in highly symbolic and ritual ways.

Caves of Perillos

We begin with an overview of the types of caves that exist in Perillos. The cave of "La Caune" is one of the more formidable sights in the Perillos region. Inside, some remarkable finds have been found, which can only be identified as "out of place".
In late February, the unfortunate death of a caver in Perillos not only made headline news, but also added another cave to the list of known caves in Perillos.

The seat of death

Near the village of Perillos is the enigmatic location, known as the "seat of death". A discussion on its possible symbolical meaning might shed further light on this site.

The Hitching Stone: an English Roc Redon

In the valley between the Opoul Plateau and La Belle Oriole sits an enigmatic stone, of which little mythology is known. An analysis of a similar stone in Yorkshire (England) may be a first step.

The convent of St Cecilia

The existence of convent in Perillos is ill-recorded, as is the location of the Ladies' Crypt. But after a long search, the "convent of St Cecilia" has finally been located. In the vicinity, there are various other intriguing finds.

The ancient sacred landscape of Perillos

The various religious sites, both christian and otherwise, sit within a specific alignment on the landscape, which indicates a pre-Christian origin for their design - and a specific veneration for the highest mountain in the area, Montaillou de Perillou.

The Cromlech of Perillos

The curious presence of a Way of the Cross on the perimeter of Perillos and the discovery of an enigmatic stone offer more suggestions about the ancient sacred landscape of Perillos.

Of glass ovens and mines

The recent discovery of a glass oven on the territory of Perillos has proven that there is indeed a reality behind the rumour. Furthermore, the discovery of a second glass oven and a mine have only added evidence of this corner of Perillos and its industrial heritage.

Perillos: the navel of another world?

In this series, we try to look at the various elements of the sacred landscape of Perillos and try to interpret them within a mythical context. First, we try to find correspondences between the "sacred ingredients" and other sacred sites. Secondly, we interprete these within their proper mythical framework. Finally, we try to extend this knowledge into other areas, where the Perillos family would soon have an interest too.

“A cave of Christ”

In Christian Doumergue's "La Tombe Perdue", the author tackles a manuscript known as “The Avenging of the Saviour”, which has some interesting links to the lords - if not the enigma - of Perillos.

The overlooked twin: Opoul

Geographically, the area is dominated by the plateau of Salveterra, identified as the birthplace of Opoul, a village that always sat very close to Perillos, but nevertheless has shared little of its glorious past. Or has it? In part 2, we will reveal some underground features that might intimately connect the fate of each site with the other. In part 3, we look into the forgotten location of the cemetery.

A forgotten magic square

Delving deeper into the possible meaning of the magic square of the castle of Salveterra, certain correspondences with the modern myth of Rennes-le-Château cannot be left unstated.

 

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The Courtade document

A 17th century overview of Perillos, by the royal notary Courtade.

A 19th century map of Perillos

Officially, there never were any mines on the territory of Périllos… However, a map dating from the 19th century, makes precise references to the mines of the area.
Indeed, the map reveals the locations and areas of extractions, which curiously seems to have escaped the memory of the local population.
The map clearly shows that the village was carefully indexed, divided into two cadastral sectors, though there are no references to vaults, oratories or other ancient remains. It is therefore clear that the sole purpose of this map was to map the mining activities.

Cassini and the lost knowledge

Cassini: not just the name of a spacecraft, of course. In fact, the spacecraft is named after one of the more illustrious families, astronomer royals of France. But this family has had - and remains to have - a specific affinity with the mystery of Perillos, from the 17th century, when the family decided to live, for unknown reasons, for two years in Opoul, via November 2005, when the family made a visit to the sites to March 2006, when it invited the organisation over to its Italian castle.

The lost documents of Perillos

In 2005, a part of the parish records of Perillos were recovered. These documents were thought to have been lost many centuries ago, but have been preserved by the local villagers.

The Lords of Durban

Further to the discovery of a manuscript by Dr. Courrent detailing the genealogy of the Lords of Durban, we reproduce its printed version, providing further confirmation about the role of these lords in the mystery of Perillos.

 

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A concise history of the lords of Perillos

From obscure origins in the 12th century, to the fame of the 15th century and the continued dynasty until the 19th century, the Perillos name has been one of the greatest titles in Spanish history.

The genealogy of the Perillos family

A more detailled overview of the Perillos reveals how this family saw its own past, but specifically who the prime members were that propelled it to the forefront of international politics, before the family became an established noble family.
Apart from the main branch of the family, other branches married families such as de Voisins and de Chefdebien, which are not without interest in the mystery of Rennes-le-Château.

Ramon de Perillos' pilgrimage to St Patrick's Purgatory

At the end of the 14th century, Ramon de Perillos went to St Patrick's Purgatory on a personal pilgrimage. Though now seen as a bastion of the Christian faith, historical studies suggest the site was actually an important - and pagan - oracle of the dead. Details of Ramon's voyage have left an important historic account. A key person helping us highlight this effort was Mary Reid.

A decade before his voyage, Ramon also acquired an important alchemical library.

A lord of Perillos and the Order of Malta

Ramon Perellos y Roccaful bought the title of Perillos, and would continue to become one of the most illustrious Grand Masters of the Order of Malta, an order to which he left an impressive series of tapestries, as well as one of the most impressive mausoleums. There are records that detail his entrance into the city of Vittoriosa, in Malta, upon his election.

 

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Views of Perillos

A picture gallery of the scenery in and around Perillos, including the chapel, cemetery, castle and of course the village itself. (Access to page 2 directly here.)

Map of Perillos

A modern map, and one dating from the 17th century.