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Float Gently Through Turbulent Cathar History on Barge Trips in France
Languedoc: Rich History of a Beautiful Destination
The peaceful vineyard clad countryside of Languedoc hides a turbulent history. In the thirteenth century, a bloody crusade was launched by the Catholic Church over a Christian heresy called Catharism. Castles that are now viewed as scenic were once the last defense of a minority that didn’t even speak French. At that time, southern France was a patchwork of smaller kingdoms and duchies with borders that shifted on a regular basis. One of them encompassing much of southern France was Occitania. The language of the area was known as “les langues d’oc”—which is the origin of the name for the region of Languedoc. Thus, the Cathars, in what is now France, were fighting not just for their religious freedom, but also for their independence as a cultural minority.
Visit Historical Treasures on Barge Cruise Excursions
Today you can explore this fascinating and disputed territory on the guided excursions included on our barge trips on the Canal du Midi. You will take an excursion to Minerve, the ancient hilltop village overlooking the confluence of two rivers where the peaceful Cathars were besieged by Simon de Montfort in 1210. A local museum re-creates the Cathar seige with a miniature diorama.
La Candela of Minerve is all that remains of the fort beseiged by Simon de Monfort in 1210.
140 Cathars perished by fire when they refused to renounce their faith.
Photograph by Beth Hanson, CanalBargeCruises.com.
Whether you make your home aboard a charter barge with your own private party or join other passengers on a hotel barge, you will visit the city of Carcassonne, which is hailed as the most complete medieval fortified city remaining in Europe today.
Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the most well preserved walled city in Europe.
Photograph by Beth Hanson, CanalBargeCruises.com
From the deck of Anjodi or Athos as it passes through Beziers, you will have the opportunity to glimpse the hilltop city where all the townspeople were massacred when they refused to renounce their faith as demanded by Pope Innocent III and the French king Philippe II Augustus.
Beziers, where Simon de Montfort sacked the city and killed all the residents to eliminate the Cathars. Photo courtesy of European Waterways.
Aboard any of our Canal du Midi barges, you will have the opportunity to trace the footsteps of the Cathars as they peacefully and valiantly struggled to retain their independence.
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If you’re ready to float through history, contact us today to book a barge trip on the Canal du Midi.
Beth Hanson
Barge Cruise Specialist since 1988
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