By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
In the southwestern corner of France, the region known as Languedoc has been an important part of European culture for centuries. Originally a Roman outpost, it fell to the Visigoths with the fall of Rome and later fought off Saracen invasions and Hungarian incursions. It was important because it provided trade crossroads between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Its ancient language, Oc, was a widely used derivation of Latin and the region was known as Occitania. In fact, the name Languedoc means "The Language of Oc."
The area's culture is strongly influenced by Spain. Bullfighting, in a unique form, is a popular entertainment. Only a short distance from Barcelona, it identifies itself as much with Spanish culture and customs as it does with those of France. Were it not for a cataclysmic upheaval that began in 1209, Languedoc would probably have become a separate country or might have become part of Spain.
That political trauma of 1209 resulted from a large group of people whose adherence to an alternative form of Christianity created friction with the Papal Church in Rome. It was practiced by a people who called themselves Cathars. The name derived from a Greek word meaning "holy." The religion was a form of dualism in which the practitioner would not be allowed to go to their version of heaven until his life on earth was conducted with perfect adherence to the principles of the faith. If he sinned, the Cathar would be reincarnated and given another chance to "get it right." The faith accepted Jesus as an example of the perfect life. Cathars were tolerant of other faiths; women received equal treatment; tithing was not encouraged and Cathars turned their backs on the traditional influence of the Papal Church in Rome.
The growing popularity of the religion of the Cathars was threatening to Pope Innocent III and he called for a Crusade to wipe out what he considered the heresy. Called the Albigensian Crusade, it was the only one that was directed at a European destination. All the others were mounted against Saracens and other non-Christians who lived in the Holy Land outside the political boundaries of Europe.
The Crusade against the Cathars was especially vicious. In the course of the Crusade, the city of Bezier was besieged. Entering the city of 30,000, the Crusaders asked the Archbishop what to do to distinguish true Catholics from Cathars. The Archbishop's answer has gone down in history -- he answered: "Kill them all — God will recognize his own." The one lasting result of the Crusade was the origination of the infamous Inquisition which continued into the 19th Century. During the Crusade, many of the Cathars fled to Spain which promptly imported the institution of the Inquisition for its own purposes.
At the center of this Languedoc area and the Cathar religious movement is the double-walled city of Carcassonne. The city itself dates from the 4th Century, though it was first walled in the 11th Century and had its second wall added by French King Louis IX in the late 13th Century. The outer wall measures 1672 meters in circumference (5480 feet -- over a mile.) There are 52 defensive towers strategically placed around the walls.
During the Crusade, the Cathars were led by the charismatic Raymond Roger Trencavel (1185-1209), who died as a prisoner in this fortress. Following the Crusade, a new Catholic Cathedral was constructed in Carcassonne on the site of a much older one. The nave of this structure is Romanesque and dates from the 14th Century. The transepts have even older stained glass windows that are thought to have origins in the 10th Century. Among those buried in the cathedral is Simon de Montfort, who was the military leader of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. Since 1997, Carcassonne has been a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site.
Strolling through the ancient cobblestone streets of Carcassonne is especially rewarding after dark when the tourists have gone home and the shops have closed. It's then that the real feeling of a medieval city is most impressive. You can almost hear the shouts of the defenders and experience the crash of boulders catapulted against the sturdy walls.
Carcassonne is only one of the many cities in the region known as Languedoc-Roussillon. Cities like Narbonne and Bezier where the Crusade originated are still vital towns. Also in the area is a striking example of the sort of fortifications built during the Middle Ages. You can visit a promontory where the remains of four fortresses and their towers are visible on a single hillside.
Another wonder of the Languedoc-Roussillon region is the Canal du Midi that was built to shorten the trade route between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Begun in 1660, the canal starts at Toulouse and ends in the Mediterranean at Sete. The canal was the dream of Pierre Paul Riquet who got financial help by appealing to Louis XIV's minister of finance, Colbert. It took 12,000 workers to build the canal across the 250 kilometers (150 miles) of its route and when it was finally completed in 1681, it proved to be the engineering marvel of its time. The Canal was designated a UNESCO site in 1996.
Between Toulouse and the Atlantic, the barges continued on a river, the Garonne. The river was unreliable. Sometimes it flooded and at other times the water level was too low to permit transit by the barges. Finally, in 1856 a second canal, called the "Canal of the Two Seas," was constructed between Toulouse and Bordeaux completing the journey across France.
There's no longer any commercial use of the canal but it is maintained for recreational purposes. Privately owned boats are harbored in marinas along the canal and there are sightseeing boats that will take you under the low, narrow bridges, past the banks of the canal, through locks and to small towns along the way. Rental boats are also available for those interested in traveling through the countryside at a maximum speed of 5 knots per hour, moving at a pace set in the 17th Century.
The canal was planned so that existing roads could be utilized, and bridges high enough to accommodate the barges were built. Many of those roads had been originally constructed by Roman engineers. More than 45,000 sycamore trees line the canal shading the barges as they graciously wend their way through the tranquil waterway. Two towpaths along the canal are available for bikers and hikers. Of the original 114 locks along the length of the canal, 63 are still in use today. The locks use a 1593 design by Leonardo Da Vinci. They have been upgraded and most are now operated electrically.
UNESCO funds have been used to restore some of the bridges. Also restored are some of the houses along the banks that were used as Caravansaries. Restaurants along the canal offer an opportunity to sample the excellent and authentic rural cuisine of Languedoc as your tour boat completes its two hour circuit of portions of the canal.
Rural France offers history and mystery; a chance to relive a mythic time when knighthood was in flower. Here, the sometimes ugly side of the Crusades is painfully obvious, yet the beauty of the countryside and the patina of the centuries has made the visit both fulfilling and exciting.
We are indebted to Mr. Andre Gastaud-Jaffus who guided us through many of the mysteries of the Cathars. Andre is a lecturer and semi-retired guide and one of the world's leading experts on Carcassonne and the Cathars.
Getting to Carcassonne is not difficult. The best way to get there from Chicago is via a direct Air France flight to Paris and then, one of several feeder airline flights to Carcassonne. In addition, the high-speed TGV trains run to the region and rental cars are always available at any major transit point. The Tourist Information Office in Carcassonne stands ready to help find appropriate hotel accommodations and can recommend restaurants. |
