Mediterranean Coast: Carcassonne and the Cathar Crusades
The Mediterranean Coast… What do you envisage when you think of this idyllic region in France? Sipping chilled rosé by the beach, enjoying fresh seafood, strolling along the seafront, swimming in the gently lapping waves…
In the 21st century, you would be spot on! Indeed, cycling around the Mediterranean coast means exactly that for riders on our guided Med and Midi bike tour: sparkling seas and chic villages with fabulous restaurants.
The French towns of Béziers and Carcassonne are highlights on this trip and have become bucket list visitor destinations for travellers seeking to bask in that unique Mediterranean glow, but cast your mind back several centuries, and the picture is not so pretty…
Step back in time: visiting Carcassone's atmospheric medieval streets. Credit: Leonis Caeli
Exploring the history of the Mediterranean and Midi
Embedded deep within the rugged landscape of Languedoc with its iconic fortresses lies the shadow of a forgotten era - the brutal saga of the Cathar sect and the crusade again them by the Catholic church.
About the Cathars and their impact on southwest France
The early 13th century was a dark time in the history of the Mediterranean Coast. This thriving French region was being torn apart by a religious divide: the Cathars were a Christian sect who turned their backs on the more frivolous material aspects of the Catholic church, and chose to live very simply with minimal possessions and worship modestly at home or in small groups. The Catholic church did not recognise the Cathars as true Christians, and Pope Innocent III called for a crusade to wipe out the “heretics” by nobles of northern France, including Simon de Montfort, who were allowed to keep the land and wealth after the Cathars had been supressed. Arnald-Amaury, Abbot of Citeaux recruited around 20,000 crusaders and supporters to join the Albigensian Crusade in June 1209. They marched south from Lyon towards Montpellier and in July, they reached Béziers.
A gruesome episode in Béziers’ history
The crusaders besieged the city, demanding that the Cathars surrender and offering safe passage to the Catholics; but when neither group did as ordered, the crusaders invaded the city, slaughtering the population and burning the city to the ground.
When asked how the crusaders should distinguish the Cathars from the Catholics, papal legate Arnaud Amalric - the man in charge of the siege - is said to have replied "kill them all; God will know his own". Even the priests in the Béziers cathedral were put to the sword.
According to church documents, 20,000 heretics were slaughtered and the town was burned to the ground.
Next stop: Carcassonne
The crusaders' next target was the fortified city of Carcassone, where many Cathars had taken refuge from the invaders. The siege of the city did not last long. Despite bravely defending the city’s strong walls, within a week the crusaders had cut off the water supply to the citadel, forcing the defenders to surrender. The people of Carcassonne were not massacred as had happened in Béziers; instead, they were expelled from the city, naked but for their "shifts and breeches", leaving the crusaders to ransack the fortress. Montfort claimed his stake in the city and began further fortifications.
Depiction of the Cathars being expelled from Carcassonne
What happened next?
After the fall of Carcassonne, many nearby towns opted to surrender without a fight. Over the next year, the crusaders brought down the cities of Lastours and Minerve. However, their siege of Toulouse was short on men and supplies, and Raymond de Toulouse led a successful counter-attack against the invaders.
In 1213, the Cathars turned to King Peter II of Aragon (in northern Spain), for help; the king agreed to help, but Pope Innocent denounced him and ordered the crusade to be renewed. King Peter was struck down and killed in battle, De Montfort continued to uphold the siege of Toulouse but died in 1218.
The official end to the war was brought about by the Treaty of Paris in 1229, however the crusaders continued to hunt down any remaining Cathars over the next decade, headed up by King Louis VIII. Though few remained, the church's Inquisition, established in 1233, uprooted and prosecuted Cathars for the remainder of the century, until Pope Clement V introduced new rules to restrict the crusade’s power.
The repercussions of the Albigensian Crusade were many and long-lasting; scholars have argued that ultimately, it weakened the Catholic church and made it more dependent on the French monarchy. But regardless, the crusade all but wiped out Catharism as a religious movement, and reinforced the Catholic church’s power in the south of France.
The fortified walls of Carcassonne in south west France. Credit: Steve Douglas
On the trail of history: cycling in the Mediterranean
If you're intrigued by this slice of history, we visit both Béziers and Carcassonne on our guided Mediterranean cycling tours which gives you opportunity to step back in time and visit these intriguing destinations.
Mediterranean Coast and Canal du Midi Tour cycling tour highlights
- Visit to Marseillan with a tasting at Noilly Prat
- See the ancient town of Béziers and/or historical town of Pezenas
- Fantastic sea views around the Etang de Thau
- Easy cycling tour along the tree shaded Canal du Midi
- The astonishing medieval fortress of Carcassonne
Cyclists on a French Cycling Holiday during a stop in Béziers
Ask us a question about your next guided cycle tour in France...
If you have any questions, we're always very happy to chat! Here's how you can contact us:
- fch@frenchcyclingholidays.com
- +44(0) 1923 894305 or +44(0)20 8357 8934
- Website contact form
- More inspiration on exploring France from our blog articles
[Header thumbnail image of Carcassonne by Hugo Margolles]