Carcassonne: a history book!

Carcassonne is a beautiful fortified city that is part of the Unesco World Heritage.

The history of the old city dates back to the pre-roman period with the first occupation being around 6th century BC.   During the third or fourth century, a fortification wall was built.  It came under many attacks by the Franks but resisted. It fell however under the Arabs and was eventually delivered by Pepin le Bref.  In the 12th century, the castle was built and in the 13th century, it acquired its medieval fortifications.

Due to its reputation of impregnability, it was never attacked during the Hundred Years' War and it was used as an arsenal depot during the revolution.

Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation.

Le chateau des Milandes: the former residence of Josephine Baker

Chateau des Milandes is in the middle of the Dordogne valley, surrounded by a few houses, a cathedral and many fields, hills and lush greenery.  

 The castle was first built in 1489

By François de Caumont, lord of Castelnaud to please his wife who preferred to live in a romantic castle rather than in the feudal fortress of Castelnaud.

After the death of the death of the last owner, a descendant of François de Caumont, the castle was more or less left in a state of neglect until the 1900.  At that time a rich industrialist bought the castle and made many alterations to the interior and the façade by adding gothic style carvings and gargoyles.

He also planted magnolia trees which were fashionable then.

It was not until 1937, during a visit to the Périgord area that Josephine Baker saw the castle, fell in love with it and rented it then purchased it in 1947. The castle is now a museum to display outfits and memorabilia of the famous singer.

Only two years after purchasing the chateau, Ms Baker became the owner of almost the whole village and called it Le Village Du Monde. 

Rocamadour

.Rocamadour is a very famous village that welcomes millions of visitors every year.

Firstly because Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage destination, and has been for 1000 years. Built on the site of a shrine to a Madonna, the shrine became famous for its healing powers, and soon became a stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Campostela.

The second reason is because of the beautiful and dramatic setting of the village, climbing up a cliff side.

Rocamadour is one of the Grand Sites of France.  The village consists of only one street that can be entered by one of the four gates.

The Grand Escalier (216 steps, once climbed by pilgrims on their knees) leads from the village to the sanctuaries. The sanctuaries include the Chapelle Notre Dame - home to the Black Madonna - and the basilica Saint-Sauveur; the Saint-Michel chapel; the Palace of the Bishops (Palais des Eveques) and three chapels.

Many notable people visited Rocamadour over the years, including St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Louis, King Louis XI, and possibly evenCharlemagne, on his way to battle the Moors in Spain.

The secret of Domme

Domme is a beautiful small bastide town in the Périgord Noir.  A small town of no more than a few hundred inhabitants during the high tourism season and fewer  than 100 inhabitants during the low season, it had a very eventful history especially during the Hundred Years' War.  This small town holds a sad secret, well hidden within the walls of one of its towers.  This small town held the jail that held 70 Templars captive.  

The Knight Templars were imprisoned from 1307 to 1318 during the trial against them. In the tours there remains hundreds of Templar graffiti that still bear witness to this time. 

The Templars used a code system involving series of geometric figures: the octagon represented the Grail, the triangle surmounted by a cross represented Golgatha, the square represented the Temple, and the circle represented the imprisonment.

The Templars used their nails and teeth that had fallen out due to diseases, to make these engravings.  

The Templars stayed in this dark cold tower until they all died from starvation, malnourishment and disease.  However the graffiti on the walls of their cell are proofs to their faith that never faultered!

Note:  visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the tower.  Pictures in this blog were taken by Bernard Dupuy and published in the book Domme et son pays.

Life by the river: Limeuil as a perfect example

Until the end of the 18th century, rivers were the best means of transportation and as a result helped the economy of towns that border these rivers.  A perfect example from the Middle Ages is the town of Limeuil.

Perched high up on the hill for protection from invaders, Limeuil was a very important port especially that it was at the intersection of the Vézère and the Dordogne rivers.

The bridge on the left is over the Vézère river and the one on the right is over the Dordogne.

Its perfect location made the small town of Limeuil a bustling and lively small town where fishermen, merchants and farmers lived safely within the walls of the city.

Current entrance to the city through one of its four doors.

However, a bustling city came with some problems such as drunken sailors.  Young men who appeared to have abused alcohol, are required to stay in this "justice" house until they sobered up.

No town or village is complete without a church and Limeuil has at its top near the location of the château, a beautiful and simple church from the 12th century.

What century is this?!

Strolling through the streets of the city of Périgueux is better than flipping through a history book!  Within the city walls (literally) one can witness the vestiges of history that go back to the Roman times or 1st century AD:

The remains of the temple of Vésone

And the ancient city of Vesunna that is now protected by a beautiful museum designed by Jean Nouvel

Just around the corner one can bump into remains of the castle of Barrière which was built in the 12th century which was burned down during the War of Religion in 1575

A good example of the mixture of centuries, architecture and the intermingling of culture and history is 

The Gallo-roman wall that served as a foundation for the medieval house

One can go down a couple of streets and face a tower that remains from the city walls.

Or a rich merchant's house from the 15th century

Throughout the narrow streets of the medieval city, inhabitants and tourists meander and sit in cafés or shop at stores which occupy the ground floors of gorgeous, ancient buildings!

It is just a one of a kind, surreal experience!

To markets we will go!

One cannot visit the area of the Périgord without visiting the multitudes of markets.  Every city, town or village has it's own market once or twice a week!  As a matter of fact, the markets are the life of the small villages and the livelihood of the farmers, and vegetable and fruit growers.  However,  it may come as a surprise that markets are also havens for artists and artisans.  One may see a booth of vegetables right next to a booth of handmade silver jewelry, or a osausage booth right next to a booth for handmade wooden toys!

Les marchés are awaited in these small villages as they will attract additional tourists and bring in additional income to the towns as the booth owners have to pay 1 euro per meter of booth space.  Each town thus has an employee "un contrôleur" walk around the market area, greet the merchants and collect the money, an income to the municipality.  The markets are also perfect places for the tourist to learn more about the local produce, the heritage of the region and just get to know the inhabitants.  

Fresh produce, colorful products, the smells, the sounds and the colors of the markets make for a wonder cultural and civic experience!

Le château de Castelnaud

Castelnaud castle stands beautiful, majestic and solid over the Dordogne river and valley.  

Its construction started in the 12th century, but it was destroyed, rebuilt and added to several times over the years and centuries.

During the Hundred Years' War the château exchanged hands between the English and the French no fewer than seven times!  The castle this became a good emblem of the dangers and defenses of the times.  It was so fortified that it became uncomfortable to live in!  Today, it is a museum of the wars and gunnery of the Middle Ages.

There are virtually no windows! And it has walls all around it.

All types of war machineries are displayed. 

The bastides and fortified cities of Monpazier and Belvès

IMonpazier and Belvès are two of many well preserved medieval towns, better known as Bastides.  Bastides are "modern" towns in what was, at the time, a rather wild and inhospitable part of Europe. The establishment of bastides was a way for rulers to bring the population together in centres which could be more easily controlled and defended than isolated farmsteads or hovels, while helping to develop trade and other activities associated with the town. The bastides, by promoting economic activity, also allowed the lords who founded them to raise more taxes, while ensuring a better standard of living - and also more importantly the status of freemen rather than serfs - for the people who moved into them.

The bastide of Belvès

Most bastides are laid out on a grid pattern, with a central square.  The grid pattern may  have been inspired by the model of the roman "castrum".

 The central square of a bastide is generally surrounded by arcades; the central square served as the commercial hub and market place, and was sometimes equipped with a covered market hall. 

The arcades of Monpazier

The covered market "les Halles" of Belvès

Many of the Bastides have fortifications, towers, walls and gates to protect them from intruders and invaders.