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Carcassonne - le chateau comtal - Carcassonne
Carcassonne - le chateau comtal
by Klod5
Tips and photos for Carcassonne vacations and tourism, posted by real travelers and Carcassonne locals.
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Carcassonne History
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  • Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Updated By Kuznetsov_Sergey on December 11, 2006
  • Carcassonne Page by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Carcassonne - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
    After Charles Martell's victory at Poitiers saracines did not pass through Pyrenees. On the contrary, Charles the Great expanded the empire to Catalonia. Therefore Carcassonne lost the military value.

    Within several centuries the city belonged to Trenkawell dynasty. During this period there were serf strengthenings and Roman basil of Sacred Nasar was built on.

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    Carcassonne History (cont)
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  • Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Updated By Kuznetsov_Sergey on December 11, 2006
  • Carcassonne Page by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Carcassonne - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
    As the city was on crossroads of trading ways with the Near East, the doctrine distinct from Christian extended here. It was perceived by the Catholic world as heresy. During wars the column of Carcassonne stood on the party of heretics. The city was won by crusaders in 1229. Lui Sacred ordered to destroy the city.

    However the son of the column tried again to seize the ancestral lands. But it was unsuccessfully. Then Lui undertook a new construction and surrounded an internal fortification with an external wall. Phillip the Fat by 1285 finished these works.

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    Carcassonne History (contin)
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  • Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Updated By Kuznetsov_Sergey on December 11, 2006
  • Carcassonne Page by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Carcassonne - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
    Then the art of fortificate constructions achieved its peak. The top city became practically unapproachable. The internal ring of fortifications has in perimeter of 1100 meters. An external ring - 1500 meters.

    The city garrison made 1300 persons, proceeding from following calculation: one person at each meter of an internal fortification, 20 person at each of 13 towers and 200 person at a gate. The population of the city at that moment was about 4 thousand persons.

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    Carcassonne History (continued)
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  • Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Updated By Kuznetsov_Sergey on December 11, 2006
  • Carcassonne Page by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Carcassonne - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
    When you bypass these unapproachable walls, the imagination draws bloody slaughters and unsuccessful attempts of aggressors to overcome defense. However anybody never tried to storm these strengthenings.

    There was only once when English prince - the son of Edward III passed through these territories. He burnt the bottom not strengthened city, and the top city did not touched.

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    Everything you need to know...
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  • Stevieboy
  • Updated By Stevieboy on July 30, 2003
  • Carcassonne Page by Stevieboy
  • Carcassonne General Tips
    by Stevieboy
    Need to know something about Carcassonne?

    The official website is the place to be. The site is very well built and has heaps of info in three languages. I dicovered it when looking for a hotel, but there is lots of other information on there (have a look at the downloads, for example - they even some mpegs giving you a panoramic view of the city!)

    Check it out! http://www.carcassonne.fr/

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    How did Carcassonne get it's name, you ask?
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  • fossettes
  • Updated By fossettes on April 30, 2003
  • Carcassonne Page by fossettes
  • Dame Carcas - Carcassonne
    Dame Carcas
    by fossettes
    By the mid-8th century "Pepin the Short", first Carolingian king of the Franks and father of Charlemagne, had been very busy taking back almost every part of the South of France from the Saracens, except for Carcassonne, because of it's impenatrable fortress. After a very long siege, the Franks hoped that the battered inhabitants of Carcassonne would soon starve and surrender. But Dame Carcas, the Sarrasin's widow, came up with a clever plan. She had a pig fed and fattened with the last sacks of grain the inhabitants could find. When the pig was fat enough, it was thrown over the ramparts. When the Franks saw this heathy animal explode they assumed there was plenty of meat and grain available still and deduced that the siege would not end soon. So, they abandonned their fight and left. Dame Carcas had the bells rung all day long to announce the victory. According to the legend, Dame "Carcas sonne" les cloches (rings the bells), and this is where the name of the City comes from.

    A statue to honor Dame Carcas is found at the entrance to the city

    The ham steaks! Just kidding!

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    Take a walk back in time in and around the Cite
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  • LizC
  • Updated By LizC on February 17, 2003
  • Carcassonne Page by LizC
  • The lower left is a 3RD wall! - Carcassonne
    The lower left is a 3RD wall!
    by LizC
    Walk and take pics of the 52-tower and 3 km long double ringed wall, take time to enjoy the awesome architecture, the city view down below, and let your imagination take you back in time, to as far back as Louis IX when the town was part of the royal estates, becoming the seat of the Senelschalsy, that's when the outer wall was built, or as far back as 13th century, back to the time of Philip the Fair, that's when the inner wall (the remainder)was built.

    If you are interested, you can find historical sites located in the Cite: Viscount's Castle (11-13th century), Basilica Church of St. Nazarius and St. Celsus, open-air theatre, Hotel de la Cite, St. Sernin's Church, Pace du Grand Puits, and Inquistition House (13-17th century).

    The Cite! The walk around the Cite!

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    Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, le premier sauveur
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  • Klod5
  • Updated By Klod5 on November 10, 2004
  • Carcassonne Page by Klod5
  • Carcassonne : la cité et le vieux pont la nuit - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne : la cité et le
    vieux pont la nuit
    by Klod5
    A Carcassonne, vers 1835, un seul homme se passionne pour la cité : Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille (1810 - 1876). Pour lui la cité est, autant qu'un vestige historique, un lieu de la mémoire personnelle. Né à la Trivalle, au pied de la citadelle, il rappellera dans des notes autobiographiques, son émotion "à la vue de l'ancienne Barbacane que l'on démolissait alors pour construire une filature". En 1841, grâce à sa découverte du tombeau de Guillaume Radulphe, il réussit à faire classer la cathédrale Saint-Nazaire. Nommé inspecteur des Monuments Historiques, il mène une campagne acharnée pour que les remparts soient, à leur tour, l'objet de mesures conservatoires. C'est grâce à lui que les travaux de restauration seront entrepris. Il est le premier sauveur reconnu et incontesté de la cité.


    Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, the first savior,

    In Carcassonne, toward 1835, only one man is passionately fond for the city : Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille (1810 - 1876). For him her city is, as much as a historic vestige, a place of the personal memory. Born in La Trivalle, to the foot of the citadel, he will recall in autobiographic notes, his emotion "at the sight of the former Barbacane that one demolished then to construct a mill". In 1841, thanks to his discovery of the tomb of Guillaume Radulphe, he succeeds in making classify the Saint-Nazaire cathedral. Named Historic Monument inspector, he leads a fierce country so that the battlements are, to their tower, the object of measures conservatories. It is thanks to him that the works of restoration will be undertaken. He is the first recognized and undisputed savior of the city.

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    Des Wisigoths à l'institution contale
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  • Klod5
  • By Klod5 on April 22, 2003
  • Carcassonne Page by Klod5
  • Carcassonne : la cité - porte d'Aude - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne : la cité -
    porte d'Aude
    by Klod5
    Après la dislocation de l'Empire romain, Carcaso, devenue Carcasona, est placée sous la domination des Wisigoths dont le royaume s'étend à l'Espagne et à la Gaule du sud et de l'ouest. Après la victoire des Francs sur Alaric II à Vouillé en 507, les Wisigoths conservent la péninsule ibérique et la Septimanie (l'actuel Bas-Languedoc) sur la bordure nord de laquelle Carcasona demeure l'une des villes frontière. La ville devient au cours du VIe siècle, avec Agde et Maguelone, le siège d'un évêché que concrétise l'édification d'une cathédrale wisigothique dont l'emplacement n'est pas déterminé. Au VIIIe siècle, la conquête arabe triomphe des Wisigoths, mais dès 759 la ville est conquise par le roi des Francs, Pépin le Bref, qui s'impose alors dans toute la Septimanie. À ces événements se rattache la légende de Dame Carcas. L'administration du nouvel empire est placée sous l'autorité comtale installant à la tête du comté de Carcassonne des familles de lignages anciens : la dynastie des Oliba jusqu'au Xe siècle relayée par les Comminges-Couserans au XIe siècle.

    After the dislocation of the Roman empire, Carcaso, become Carcasona, is placed under the domination of the Wisigothses whose kingdom spreads to Spain and Gaul of the south and the west. After the victory of the Francs on Alaric II in Vouillé in 507, the Wisigothses preserve the Iberian peninsula and the Septimanie (the present Low Languedoc) on the north border of which Carcasona stays one of the cities border. The city becomes during Life century, with Agde and Maguelone, the seat of a bishopric that the edification of a cathedral wisigothique whose site is not determined concretizes. In the VIIIth century, the Arabian conquest triumphs over the Wisigothses, but since 759 the city is conquered by the king of the Francs, Seed the Brief, that imposes itself then in the whole Septimanie. To these events the legend of Lady Carcas is connected. The administration of the new empire is placed under the authority comtale installing to the head of the county of Carcassonne of the old lineage families : the dynasty of the Olibas until the Xth century relieved by the Comminges-Couserans in the XIth century.

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    La croisades contre les Albigeois : 1209-1229
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  • Klod5
  • Updated By Klod5 on November 10, 2004
  • Carcassonne Page by Klod5
  • Carcassonne : la cité - tour du bourg - Carcassonne
    Carcassonne : la cité -
    tour du bourg
    by Klod5
    Durant vingt longues années, la guerre menée contre les hérétiques va éprouver et laminer profondément le Midi de la France. À la suite de l'assassinat du légat pontifical, Pierre de Castelnau, le 14 janvier 1208, Innocent III lance la croisade contre les Albigeois. En 1209, les seigneurs venus du Nord conduits par Simon de Montfort se lèvent contre le comte de Toulouse, Raimond VI, et ses vassaux dont le puissant vicomte Trencavel afin de libérer le pays de ce qu'ils nomment " l'hérésie cathare". Après la soumission de Raimond VI, les croisés prennent en juillet 1209 la ville de Béziers poussant Raimond Roger Trencavel à se replier dans sa forteresse carcassonnaise. Le vicomte capitule après quatorze jours de siège et doit abandonner, sur décision pontificale, l'ensemble de ses possessions à Simon de Montfort. Devant les revirements du comte de Toulouse et à l'issue de la bataille de Muret en 1213, Simon élargit son autorité au comté de Toulouse. Après sa mort, son fils Amaury, peu armé pour s'imposer sur ces terres hostiles, cède ses droits au roi de France, en 1224. Raimond VII profite de l'occasion pour prendre la cité et la remettre à Raimond Trencavel II. Louis VIII répond en lançant une expédition militaire et la ville se soumet sans combattre en juillet 1226. La vicomté est définitivement annexée à la couronne de France qui instaure à Carcassonne une sénéchaussée. La croisade s'achève le 12 avril 1229 par le traité de Meaux-Paris par lequel Raimond VII convient du mariage de sa fille unique, Jeanne, avec le frère du roi, Alphonse de Poitiers, à qui reviendra ainsi l'ensemble de ses possessions.

    Lasting twenty long years, the war led against the heretics is going to feel and to laminate the South of France of France deeply. Following the murder of the papal legate, Pierre of Castelnau, January 14, 1208, Innocent III throws the crusade against the Albigeois. In 1209, the Lords come from the North driven by Simon de Montfort rise against the count of Toulouse, Raimond VI, and his vassals of which the powerful viscount Trencavel in order to free the country of that that they name "the Cathar" heresy. After the submissiveness of Raimond VI, the crusaders take in July 1209 the city of Beziers pushing Raimond Roger Trencavel to fold back in his fortress carcassonnaise. The viscount capitulates after fourteen days of seat and must quit, on papal decision, the set of his possessions to Simon de Montfort. Before the turning around of the count of Toulouse and at the end of the battle of Low wall in 1213, Simon widens his authority in the county of Toulouse. After his death, his son Amaury, little armed to impose itself on these hostile earths, yield his rights to the king of France, in 1224. Raimond VII takes advantage of the opportunity to take the city and to put back it in Raimond Trencavel II. Louis VIII answers while throwing a military expedition and the city submits without fighting in July 1226. The vicomte is annexed definitely to the crown of France that institutes in Carcassonne a "senechaussee". The crusade ends April 12, 1229 by the treaty of Meaux-Paris by which Raimond VII invite the marriage of his unique daughter, Jeanne, with the king's brother, Alphonse of Poitiers, to that will come back thus the set of his possessions.

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