Synopsis:

During the early 13th century the north of what is now France went to war with the south in a bloody crusade aimed at destroying the heretical sect know as the Cathars.  The conflict was characterized by vicious guerrilla actions and the besieging of the innumerable fortified sites that dotted the landscaped of the south.  Illustrated with full colour artwork and stunning photographs, this book describes the castle and the fortifications of the Cathar period, examining their design, construction and the role that they played during the Albigensian Crusade.

Review:

The book gives a concise  overview of the political and religious history of the time and how the tensions led to the Albigensian Crusade.  It then moves on to the Castles as featured in the title.  The book details the design and development of the fortifications along with the history of the sites and where they were located. The book goes into further detail describing the sites when they were at war and what happened afterwards.

The final chapter provides information on ‘visiting the sites today’, it gives brief details of the major sites, their opening times and where to find out more information about them.

The book has many photographs and  illustrations in both colour and monochrome which enrich the text.

I found the book informative and concise.  It left me wanting to find out more about the fortifications that played such a big part in the Albigensian Crusade.

Synopsis from book cover:

The fascinating story of the Cathar movement in southern France, from a revolutionary flowering to its hideous suppression by crusade of Church and King.

Review:

The book was previously entitled The Perfect Heresy, The Revolutionary Life and Death of Medieval Cathars. The narrative brings to life the medieval world of Cathars, describing the crusades against them and the atrocities of the inquisition.

The book starts by listing the key figures in the Cathar story allowing the reader to connect with each of them as the tragic story of suppression unfolds.  The book is very clever in that it reads like a novel making it easily accessibly for everyone, whilst containing detailed historical accounts of the period and the people.   It gives a clear overview of the Albigensian crusade in southern France and the massacre of a group of people for expressing a spiritual perspective that threatened the teachings of the Church and the authority of the King.

The book is complete with sources and a selected bibliography for those who wish to explore the subject further.

Synopsis (from book cover):

Did you know that the word “Cathar” has been used only since the 19th century in reference to the 13th century supporters of a faith and a religious practice which the Catholic papacy considered to be dangerously heretical?  Did you know that almost everything that we know about the Cathars comes from interrogations carried out by the Inquisitors in the name of the Catholic Church?  Did you know that, thanks to this religious conflict, the Kingdom of France was able to extend its domination over southern Occitan?

In this book, Claude Lebedel describes as clearly as possible the historic, cultural and religious context, as well as the events which marked this tragedy, cast into the darkness recesses of history between the 13th and 19th centuries, and around which a certain amount of mystery has grown.

Tourists or visitor wishing to follow in the footsteps of the Cathars will find suggestions to help them in their search for a cultural and historical Cathar itinerary.

Review:

The book gives a concise but thorough overview of the Cathars and their faith and the persecution of them by the Catholic church.  It sets out the historical context and the players that were involved.  It sets out the basis of the Cathar faith and describes each of the albegensian crusades against them.

The book is illustrated throughout and there are many pictures of the remains of the Cathar fortresses along with maps showing the location of the Cathar strongholds.  It even has a section that gives ideas for an itinerary to follow in the footsteps of the Cathars.

The book is published by Editions OUEST-FRANCE

The walled city (La Cite) of Carcassonne was built on the site of a former Roman fortress.  The city is protected by two heavily fortified walls and has no less than 52 towers and barbicans. In medieval times Simon de Montfort led crusades against the Albigensians (Cathars) whom the Catholic Church had branded as heretics due to their beliefs.

At that time that city and its inhabitants were under the protection of Raymond Trencavel, “Vicomte de Carcassonne”. The town surrounding the city was destroyed during these crusades and King Louis IV authorised the building of the Bastide on the left bank of the river Aude as a replacement.

When the Roussillon region became part of France in 1659 the city’s strategic importance as a border fortress declined, the inhabitants moved to the lower town and the city fell into disrepair. In 1844 the architect Viollet-le-Duc was put in charge of the restoration of Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Celse basilica and subsequently he undertook a study of all the city fortifications. This study was used as a basis for the restoration of the city and its fortifications.

The city then slightly came back to life: “I created, wrote Viollet-le-Duc, a construction with workers mostly chosen among the locals… Here, I have builders, stone-cutters, blacksmiths, carpenters, sculptors, all men are used to difficult tasks, all work near their homes, all are under my guidance.” Some of the Carcassonne workers, such as the sculptor Perrin or the architect Cals, were truly talented. From 1855 onwards, the restoration of the fortifications began. In 1879, at the death of Viollet-le-Duc, they were far from finished. His pupil, Boeswillwald, then the architect Nodet would complete the masters enterprise.*

In the past the work was often criticised as a romantic rather than entirely accurate restoration, although in recent times the work is looked on much more favourably and is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

*Excerpt from Carcassonne History and Architecture by Jean-Pierre PANOUILLE