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Cathars & crusaders |
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Raimon de Miraval – the trials and tribulations of a 12th century troubadour
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Raimon de Miraval was a troubadour who truly lived his art. This poor knight fell hopelessly in love with the wives of the two brothers who owned the bigger château next door, and in his old age he was tempted to come out of retirement in a bid to save the world, the Cathar world, from destruction by Simon de Montfort and his crusaders. raimon-de-miraval-the-trials-and-tribulations-of-a-12th-century-troubadour.html
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The Cathar Memorial at Les Cassès
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This windy promontory is an unforgettable place which you need to visit, or at least know about, if you have any interest in the Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade. the-cathar-memorial-at-les-casses.html
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A visit to the Castrum de Roquefort – home of heretics, hideout of bandits
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This morning I visited the historic site of Roquefort (no connection with the cheese!) while on a run in our local mountains. The earliest written reference to this fortified village dates from 1035, and for the next couple of centuries it was the home of the Roquefort family. a-visit-to-the-castrum-de-roquefort-home-of-heretics-hideout-of-bandits.html
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A rare chance to visit the only Cathar castle still occupied by the living
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The Chàteau de Montgey was built more than eight centuries ago by a powerful local family called the Roqueforts, and during the Albigensian Crusade, Jourdain de Roquefort was the lord of Montgey and a staunch Cathar. a-rare-chance-to-visit-the-only-cathar-castle-still-occupied-by-the-living.html
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Overdosing on châteaux: Lastours - one village, four castles (plus a fifth!)
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If you like visiting ruined châteaux, then a real treat awaits you in the valley of the Orbiel. Drive twenty minutes north from Carcassonne and you will reach the village of Lastours. Red and gold Occitan flags flutter from lampposts alongside the river, and high on a ridge above the village, four separate châteaux stand in a line: Cabaret, Tour Régine, Surdespine and Quertinheux. overdosing-on-chateaux.html
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