A trip to Cathar Country in the Langedoc - 7
Peyrepertuse

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Carcassonne

Minerve & Beziers

Albi

Foix & Montsegur

Toulouse

This precipitously-placed pair of castles, balanced on a blade of rock comprise a lower fort, which was one of the last Cathar strongholds to hold out against King 'St' Louis IX. It is North of Maury (on the D117 West of Perpignan) but dominates the Cucugnan Valley. After it fell, 'St' Louis built the higher fort to make a statement of domination over the Cathar fort. It is reached from the Cathar fort by an extremely dodgy staircase cut into the rock, which is wide but slippery & not to be comfortably contemplated in full armour. The Cathar castle is much the larger & must have been quite comfortable by the standards of the day. Across the valley, Quéribus Castle can be seen. This dominates the Maury valley, so between them, they overlook much country. It hung on until 1255 & after that, the Cathars lead a fugitive existence until the last overt one was burned in 1320 but their memory lived on & Cathar songs and poetry still have a life today. The English composer, John Buller, set some memorably in his work, 'Proença', published on CD by Unicorn.

Quéribus seen across the valley from the Peyrepertuse car park

Peyrepertuse seen from across the valley below Quéribus

Peyrepertuse from the road below

The Cathar Castle from the road

In the Cathar Castle

The Louis IX Castle

The Cathar Castle seen from the summit

The dodgy stairs between the castles

The Cathar Castle from the Louis one

The Cathar Castle from the path up

Carcassonne

Minerve & Beziers

Albi

Foix & Montsegur

Toulouse

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Contact: Ken Baldry at 17 Gerrard Road, Islington, London N1 8AY +44(0)20 7359 6294 or e-mail him URL: http://www.art-science.com/Tourism/France/Cathars/c6.html Last revised 20/9/2002 © 2002 Ken Baldry. All rights reserved.