Places to see in ( Carcassonne - France ) Cathar Castles

Описание: Places to see in ( Carcassonne - France ) Cathar Castles

Cathar castles (in French Châteaux cathares) is a modern term used by the tourism industry (following the example of Pays Cathare – Cathar Country) to denote a number of medieval castles of the Languedoc region. Some had a Cathar connection, in that they offered refuge to dispossessed Cathars in the thirteenth century. Many of these sites were replaced by new castles built by the victorious French Crusaders and the term is also applied to these fortifications despite having no connection with Cathars.[1] The fate of many Cathar castles, at least for the early part of the Crusade, is outlined in the contemporary Occitan "Chanson de la Croisade", translated into English as the "Song of the Cathar Wars".

Cathar strong points were generally surrounded by a walled settlement - ranging from a small village to a sizable city - known as a castrum. In relatively flat areas such as the Lauragais Plain, castles and castra were often located on nearby hills, for example Laurac, Fanjeaux, Mas-Saintes-Puelles and Carcassonne. In more rugged areas castles and castra were typically located on mountain tops as at Lastours-Cabaret, Montségur, Termes and Puilaurens.

When they were taken by the Catholic Crusaders they were generally offered to senior Crusade commanders who would replace the local lord as master of the castle and the surrounding area. The old lords, sometimes Cathar sympathisers, were dispossessed and often became refugees or guerrilla resistance fighters known as "faidits". The new French lords generally built themselves a new state-of-the-art castle, sometimes on the site of the old "Cathar castle", sometimes next to it, as at Puivert. In some places, notably Carcassonne and Foix, substantial parts of the existing castles dates from the Cathar period.

Following the failure of the attempt to recapture Carcassonne by its Viscount, Raymond II Trencaval, in 1240, the Cité de Carcassonne was reinforced by the French king, new master of the viscountcy. Carcassonne was heavily garrisoned not only against Cathar sympathizer insurgents, but also the Catalans and Aragonese, since the Trencavels had been vassals of the King of Aragon who was the direct descendant of Sunifred and Bello of Carcassonne.

Cathar castles near the border between the historic Trencavel territories and the Roussillon which still belonged to the King of Aragon were taken by the King of France as frontier fortresses. Five of these became Royal citadels, garrisoned by a small troop of French royal troops. These five Cathar Castles are known as the cinq fils de Carcassonne, the Five Sons of Carcassonne:

Château d'Aguilar
Château de Peyrepertuse
Château de Puilaurens
Château de Quéribus
Château de Termes
Château d’Arques
Château de Durfort
Châteaux de Lastours
Château de Montségur
Château de Padern
Château de Pieusse
Château de Puivert
Rennes-le-Château
Château de Roquefixade
Château de Saissac
Château d'Usson

( Carcassonne - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Carcassonne . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Carcassonne - France

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