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Tag Archives: Albigensian Crusade
Cordes-sur-Ciel: Dramatic and Timeless
I’d forgotten what a long way up it is. Seventeen years had obliterated our memory of the steep hike up to the cité of Cordes-sur-Ciel perched on its hilltop, which was long considered inaccessible. But we weren’t going to wimp … Continue reading
Posted in History, Places
Tagged Albigensian Crusade, bastide, Cathars, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Counts of Toulouse, Raymond VII Count of Toulouse, Southwest France, Tarn
23 Comments
Puylaroque: Tranquil Village with a Turbulent History
The panorama from the viewpoint at Puylaroque is magnificent. Beneath the rocky outcrop on which the village stands, the plains of southwest France roll away towards the Pyrénées. On a clear day, you can see the mountains, but that is … Continue reading
Every Château Tells a Story: #6 Le Château de Penne
Circumstances have prevented me from posting for a few days, but now I’m resuming with my series about the region’s châteaux. Le château de Penne commands a strategic position 120 metres above the River Aveyron on a rocky outcrop. … Continue reading
Posted in Châteaux, History, Places
Tagged Albigensian Crusade, château de Penne, French Wars of Religion, Hundred Years War, Penne, Penne-du-Tarn, SW France
9 Comments
Every Château has a Story #3: Le Château de Caylus
Very little remains of this château, except for a square tower in surprisingly good condition and parts of the original ramparts. And yet, in its heyday, le château de Caylus had dominion over a large swathe of the surrounding … Continue reading
Unconquered Citadel: Puycelsi
Overlooking the Vère valley, the fortified hilltop village of Puycelsi is l’un des plus beaux villages de France (one of the most beautiful villages in France). The green sea of la fôret de Grésigne laps at the base of its … Continue reading
