• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WALLED CITY OF CARCASSONNE

December 20, 2014 By Howard Kramer 3 Comments

Carcassonne, France

Of all of the surviving walled cities in Europe, Carcassonne in Southern France is the undisputed champion.  Besting even Avila in Spain and Rothenberg in Germany, there is no other place in Europe, or arguably the world, where the true medieval character of a walled city has been as completely and perfectly preserved as Carcassonne.  Standing on top of a hill, its double walls and scores of towers loom so high that the buildings of the city itself are almost entirely concealed from the outside.  To add to the city’s impressive military dimensions is the Fortress of Carcassonne, one of the largest intact urban castles in France.  City ordinances require that all buildings within the walls, including new ones, fully reflect the medieval character of this amazing site.  The fact that the city is off limits to automobiles doesn’t hurt either.  The Walled City of Carcassonne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

The site upon which Carcassonne now stands has been inhabited since ancient times.  At first a center of trade during the age of the Celts, the Romans recognized the strategic location of the place when they arrived in the 1st century BC. The Romans built the first walls of the city, some of which survive and were incorporated into the later fortifications.  The Romans turned control of the city to the Visigoths in the 5th century.

During the waning years of the Roman Empire in the west, and throughout the Middle Ages, Carcassonne regularly found itself caught up in many struggles that wracked Southern France.  Being close to the Visigothic capital city at Toulouse, the Visigoths heavily fortified Carcassonne.  For centuries Carcassonne was a bastion against the threat of rival German tribes.  When the Franks arrived and absorbed all of the Visigothic territories in France, Carcassonne alone remained independent.

Carcassonne remained nominally independent until invading Saracen armies arrived from Spain in the 8th century.  The city was captured, putting an end to the last vestige of the old Visigoth realm.  However, it was held only briefly, until the Saracens were driven out by Charlemagne and Carcassone absorbed into his empire.  After his death the empire was divided and the city passed to the realm that would go on to become modern France.

Carcassonne’s colorful history did not end there.  By the 11th century, it was among the most heavily fortified cities in Western Europe.  This made it useful to the Cathars, a heretical Christian sect who seized the city and briefly used it as a stronghold.  In the early 13th century the Cathars were defeated in the Albigensian Crusade, and Carcassonne once again became a stronghold of France.  At this time even greater fortifications were added, so strongly that it remained in the possession of the French throughout the Hundred Years War.  Despite its military obsolescence, the walls and fortifications of Carcassone remained intact from 17th century on.

Visiting

Carcassone blends the shear, awesome size of Avila with the medieval charm of Rothenburg into what may be the most perfectly preserved medieval city in Europe.  While the outer walls are perhaps not quite so encompassing as those of Avila, the fact that there are two complete, surviving, concentric walls is unique and unparalled.  The inner wall looms nearly twice as high as the outer wall, with a wide kill zone in between.  53 towers from many eras guard the walls.  Portions of the walls, noticeably in red, date from Roman times.  The Inquisition in the city was once headquartered in one of these towers, which now houses the torture museum.

The centerpiece of the city’s defenses is the Fortress of Carcassone.  Dating to the 17th century, this is the largest surviving keep in an urban setting in France.  Featuring nearly a dozen towers, the fortress shares the outer defenses.  The fortress is now home to a Lapidary Museum, with exhibits on gemcutting, jewelry and similary artisanry.

The City of Carcassonne is located close to the Spanish border in south-central France, about fifty miles southeast of Toulouse and 450 miles south of Paris.  The city and its walls are an open site with minimal restrictions.  The fortress is open daily from 10:00am-5:00pm (longer hours in summer).  There is no charge for admission to the city.  However, the admission to the fortress is E8.50.  Web: www.carcassonne-tourisme.com (official website).

Other Sites

France boasts a number of excellent surviving walled cities, most popularly the Walled City of Saint-Malo on the coast of Brittany.  The Walled City of Avignon was constructed by the Papal Court during the Babylonian Captivity.  The Walled City of Neuf-Brisach is actually a nearly perfect octagon of buildings enclosed within an immense gunpowder-age star fort that must be seen from above to be fully appreciated.

Filed Under: Walled City Tagged With: France

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. jeff says

    July 20, 2016 at 12:55 am

    wich is me so dont get angry

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      August 27, 2016 at 12:13 pm

      Not angry at all. The older I get the more I feel like an idiot myself!

      Just introductory info. I only have so much time to write!

  2. jeff says

    July 20, 2016 at 12:54 am

    very helpful to an idiot

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.