Traveling around France, special attention should be paid to the numerous castles and fortresses, of which there are a sufficient number. Carcassonne is one of them: a fortress, inside which a full-fledged city is located. Thus, the fortress of Carcassonne became a city within the settlement of the same name. Carcassonne is more than two and a half thousand years old - throughout its history, the fortress performed different functions, but it has always been an important strategic point. The place where kings and courtiers used to live, where famous and beloved by many films are now being filmed, where knightly battles take place in the 21st century, is worthy of becoming a must-see.
Important dates in the history of the fortress
Carcassonne is located on the banks of the Aude River, on the way between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. The estimated date of the foundation of the settlement is 800 BC. The location determined the important strategic importance of the fortress: from it it was possible to control the passages to the city from all 4 sides. The height of the fortress above sea level is 150 meters.
Carcassonne is 2800 years old. The main dates in his chronicle:
- The beginning of history - a primitive site
- 70 AD - Prestigious Gallo-Roman City
- 419: Carcassonne became the territory of the Visigothic Kingdom through redistribution
- 725 - the fortress was occupied by the Arabs
- 1209 - Carcassonne becomes a fortress against cities that resisted the Order of the Crusaders
- 1240 - the last assault on the castle
- During the era of religious wars (1560-1629), Carcassonne became the center of Catholicism
- 1849 - the beginning of a large-scale restoration
- 1903 - awarded the title of an art monument
- 1961 - equipment of the museum complex.
What to see?
In the Carcassonne fortress, tourists are attracted by:
- Modern shops and restaurants, souvenir shops
- Tower Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsius, built in the XI century
- Komtal Castle, located in the very center of the fortress. Foundation date - XII century.
- Museum of Inquisition and Torture
- Shite Historical Cemetery
- The Narbonne Gate, welcoming everyone who enters the fortress
- House with the ghosts
- Workshops and chocolate shops.
Interesting Facts
- The first Inquisition in France took place in the fortress of Carcassonne
- The Narbonne Gate is decorated with a bust of Madame Carcassonne, the wife of one of the owners of the castle, after whom the complex is named
- A small number of interior items have survived inside the castle.
- Films about Harry Potter, Joan of Arc and Robin Hood were filmed here
- In the Middle Ages, the fortress was the seat of a small monastery.
The object belongs to the fortresses.
