Montsegur, France

Idea About: place

Country: France

The ruins of Montségur
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Idea Description

General Information

Country: France (11)
Location Info: City: Lavelanet Province/State: Ariege
Idea About: place (99)
Type of Travel: history (63)
Features: hiking (31) | mountain (29) | mystery (28) | sacred place and sanctuary (40)
Recommended for: family (60) | single (48) | student (49)
Budget: budget (80) | mainstream (85)
Region: Western Europe (47)

Description

The fortress of Montségur is located in the department of Ariege at the foothills of the Pyrenees, 12 miles (19 km) south from the town of Lavelanet. It was built on a mountain formation known as a pog - meaning 'peak', 'hill', or 'mountain' in local dialect.

In 1243 - 1244, the Cathars (a religious sect which had broken with Catholic Church and outlawed by the Pope and French kings Louis VIII and Louis IX) were surrounded at Montségur by 10,000 Royal troops. The siege happened at the end of the Albigensian Crusade (a series of military campaigns started in 1208 against the Cathars and their collaborators known as Albigensian Crusade). The Montségur fortress was the last stronghold of the Cathars. After the fall of the castle, where about 500 people bravely fought for eleven months and about 200 were burnt alive not willing to renounce their faith, it was completely destroyed at king's orders.

The history of structures ever built at the present site of Montségur is confusing. Almost nothing is known about Montségur I, the first fortress built and abandoned before the 13th century. There is no trace either of any building or structure where the members of Cathar community lived - the destroyed Cathar castle is considered to be Montségur II (built by Raymond de Péreille around 1210). The present ruins on the pog at Montségur are referred as Montségur III, and it represents a typical French defensive structure related to 17th century.

After the capture and the destruction of Montségur II, Guy I des Levis became a new seigneur of Montségur in 1245. He took the Oath of Allegiance to the King of France and at the same year started rebuilding the fortress. Its re-construction continued for three centuries. Meanwhile, a small village of Montségur sprang to life further down the slopes. Its location does not change till our days. It was listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture in 1862.

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What Makes It Special

Dramatic events of the siege, faith and sacrifice of the Cathars always attracted people to Montségur. But not only facts arouse people's imagination. There are legends and myths which surround tragic fate of besieged. The story has it that several Cathar members managed to slip out of the castle with a "treasure". The most interesting version of this speculations is that the "treasure" might be the Holy Grail. Another legend is that the Knights Templar demise and final destruction at the hands of the Inquisition in 1307 happened because many of the family members of the Templar Grand Master Bertrand de Blanchfort (1156-1169) were Cathar sympathizers and lived not far from Montségur near Rennes-le-Chateau, Carcassonne.

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Directions To Destination

- By plain: The nearest airport is in Toulouse (Toulouse Blagnac Airport), which is about a two-hour drive from Foix (Foix is 15 miles or 24 km from Montségur)
- By car: Paris is 372 miles (595 km) from Montségur (Midi-Pyrenees). It will take you about 8 hours to drive from Paris to Foix, the largest town near Montségur. From Foix, take road N20-D117 to Lavelanet; once there, roads D109-D2098 will lead to Montségur. Inner-departmental transportation is almost nonexistent.

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Best Time To Go

Spring and fall. The region has very hot summers which are not good for hiking up hill.

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Where To Stay

- Hôtel Restaurant Costes, two-star inn. Rates are from €46/room. Hotel is located in the village of Montségur
- Le Manoir d'Agnes, three-star hotel. Rates are from €210 for two nights. This hotel is located 11.8 miles from Montségur in the Pyrénées village of Tarascon-sur-Ariège. Research and book hotels in or near Foix, France

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Activities

Hiking to the top of the pog with the fortress Montségur. Below the top, you can see the ruins of several homes which people fled when the siege of the fortress began. At Montségur you can enjoy the summer solstice. The rising sun on that day passes through a series of arches some people say by chance, others think it is happening by design.

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Useful Visitor Information and Tips

The ascend to the top from the Montségur village is very steep. If you are fit it will take you about 45 minutes.

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Additional Information

Tags: Albigensian Crusades (2); Ariege; Bertrand de Blanchfor; Cathars (2); Cathar sect; Foix; Holy Grail; Inquisition; Knights Templar; Lavelanet; Montsegur (2); pog; Pyrenees (3); Templar Grand Master

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