Montsegur and the Cathars
A Grim Chapter in the History of 13th century France.
Cathar oppostion to the Church of Rome culminated in an act of barbarism which still brings hundreds of visitors to a remote commune in the foothills of the Pyrenees
Montsegur: a 'Safe Mountain'
Since the publication of Dan Bown's Da Vinci Code a plethora of articles, papers and new novels have followed in its wake. Suddenly a vast raft of of readers who had never heard of the search for the Holy Grail have descended on the various locations mentioned in his book
One only has to witness the influx of tourists to an already overvisited site such as La Cité at Carcassonne to realise the extent of the interest in this subject. And hand in hand with the story of the Holy Grail. are the many tales of the Knights Templar and the mysterious sect known as the Cathars.
The Cathars, because of their ideologies which contrasted sharply to the established Catholic Church, were being relentlessly persecuted by an assorted collection of armies encouraged by Rome. The most famous of these were the Crusaders lead by Simon de Montfort who besieged the old city of Carcassonne.
But it was Montsegur, lying south of Foix, on the way to Andorra, that bore the brunt of the most savage attack.
In the last decade of the 12th century a few Cathar women established a small community on the summit of the 'safe mountain'. By the 13th century the group had increased and the ruins of a previous defence were re-built to provide a safe haven from persecution.
By 1229 there was a flourishing community of some 250 souls.
In 1243 the Synod of Beziers decided they'd had enough of the Cathars. An army led by Senechal Hugues des Arcus marched on Montsegur and a long siege began.After ten months a 14 day truce was announced and the Cathars, and their 'parfaits'( a priest-like heirachical group of senior members) were 'invited' to renounce their heresy and re-affirm the Catholic faith .
Some did recant but more than two hundred refused, preferring to die for their faith. Which they did in the most horrendous manner.They were brought down from their sanctuary and burnt at the stake.
This incident was chillingly described in Kate Mosse's powerful book Labyrinth.
The 'stete' or site of the pyre is the first site than greats the visitor as they begin the adrdous trek to the top of the rock. Strong walking boots, and a bottle of water are strongly recommended for the uphill trek.
Once at the summit one soon realises the journey was well worth the effort. The views are spectacular from all sides.
But it is the castle itself which seems to offer the biggest impact. It's smallness is srtiking. How could almost 300 men women and children have survived nearly a year in such cramped conditions?
The walls are naturally somewhat truncated by the passage of time, but the sense of suffering seems to have permeated the thick stonework. Amongst the breathless visitors there is a a strong atmosphere of awe, and almost reverance. One treads carefully, quietly. The history of the place envelops everyone.
The return journey is much easier, and in the village of Montsegur there is a museum which has archeological items excavated from the site over the last 40 year. They provide a fascinating glimpse into the world of the 12th century Cathars . it's open from March !st to November 30th., as is the castle itself.
The village has a long history of weaving traditions, and today has a few restaurants, hotels and craft shops. There is also a camp site at the southern exit.
