FRANCIA - ARIEGE (09) - CASTELLO DI MONTSEGUR. VISTA DAL SUD EST, AL TRAMONTO. SI TROVA AD UN'ALTITUDINE DI 1207M, SULLA PARTE PIÙ ALTA DI UNO SPERONE ROCCIOSO
FRANCE - ARIEGE (09) - MONTSEGUR CASTLE. VIEW FROM THE SOUTH EAST, AT SUNSET. STANDING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1207M, ON THE HIGHEST PART OF A ROCKY OUTCROP, THE FORTRESS IS MENTIONED IN THE TEXTS FROM THE END OF THE 12TH CENTURY. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 13TH CENTURY, THE CATHARS, ADEPTS OF A DUALISTIC RELIGION DECLARED HERETICAL BY THE POPE, SETTLED IN THESE PLACES. IN 1232, THE CASTLE BECAME THE SEAT OF THE CATHAR CHURCH AND THE REFUGE OF THE FAIDITS, LOCAL LORDS DISPOSSESSED OF THEIR PROPERTY BY THE CRUSADE. WHILE LANGUEDOC WILL BE SET ON FIRE, MONTSEGUR WILL LIVE IN RELATIVE PEACE FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. FINALLY, THE POPE AND THE KING OF FRANCE, DECIDED IN 1243 TO FINISH WITH MONTSEGUR: AFTER A TERRIBLE SIEGE OF 11 MONTHS, MARCH 16, 1244, THE CATHARS ARE LED TO THE STAKE. MORE THAN 200 OF THEM ARE BURNED ALIVE. CATHARISM WILL NEVER RECOVER FROM THE LOSS OF MONTSEGUR AND WILL DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 14TH CENTURY.
