Trekking to Carcassonne

It's the end of the season at the International Centre and Eluiza and I wanted to celebrate in a special way. We had talked about going to Carcassonne for a while and then spontaneously decided to go last week. Carcassonne is the birthplace of Father Jean Pierre Medaille, itinerant preacher and founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Le Puy-en-Velay, 1650.



Jean Pierre Medaille, SJ
1618-89

History 

The place where Carcassonne would eventually become goes back to the Neolithic period. The Romans also occupied this area because of its strategic military importance. The Visigoths came in the 5th century and founded the city that would later prove to be of economic importance as well.

The old walled city called La Cité, is a medieval fortress dating back to the Gallo-Roman period. It was restored by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in 1853. It is one of the few left in Europe, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. 

Although Carcassonne's economy is largely based on tourism, it also engages  in manufacturing and wine-making. Upon approaching the city, you can see the grape fields that go into producing Corbière wine, the wine of choice at the Centre.

The city is located in the department of Aude, in the Occitane region. The Aude River that runs through the city starts in the Pyrenees and flows southeast 224 kilometres (139 mi) into the Mediterranean Sea near Narbonne. The population of Carcassonne is about 50,000.


 

Highlights of the Walled City

The Porte Narbonnaise, the walled city's main entrance, goes over a drawbridge. One instantly gets into the spirit of medieval times.






 






Here's a close-up of the entrance at night. The yellow lights on the stone create an eerie, mystical feeling that is irresistibly beautiful.

 







The figure over the portal is the Blessed Mother. She is much revered in France and shows up everywhere.












 
The other woman at the front gate is Dame Carcas, the namesake of the city of Carcassonne. Myth has it that during a 13th century war with the Franks, the Saracen princess, Carcas, had fallen in love Charlemagne, the king. When he retreated from the city after a siege of 5 years, she mournfully called him back by tolling all the city's bells ("sonne" in French), thus the name "Carcas-sonne." 


 

  

The Cité was built as a fortress because Carcassonne was constantly at war since the 6th century B.C. Each civilization that conquered it, built more walls and towers. Here is the outer wall with a moat between it and the Cité.






 
The cité's walls and structures are fascinating even though the cold stone is harsh and sometimes lonely, especially at night.

This gate leads to an open courtyard. I'm not sure what it was in its time, but today it is a place where expositions and demonstrations are held for tourists. Everything in this fortress is foreboding. I guess when you are at war over centuries, you become a bit defensive.

This street is aesthetically pleasing with a wedge-shaped street plan that converges in the church square.

 

The ivy-covered walls of the hotel bring Nature into the fortress where stone is everywhere.








The center of medieval life was the church. To show that, it sported the tallest towers in the city.

St. Dominique was built in 1213. Its Gothic architecture was a style that originated in 12th-century France and flourished in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages until the 16th century.  
 





Gothic architecture characteristically includes rib vaults for greater height and space for windows, stained glass for light and color in the interior, rose windows, pointed arches, and realistic statuary to illustrate biblical stories for illiterate parishioners.

 

 
Here is a medieval pietà, which looks like Michelangelo's work, only it came a few centuries before. I have seen others like it in Italy.

On our second day in Carcassonne, we went into the city and discovered several other interesting places.

St. Michel Cathedral

No one knows where in Carcassonne Fr. Medaille was born, but researchers believe he was baptized at St. Michel. Here is the current baptismal font, which may have been used during his time.

The non-decorative facade, except for its 8-meter 
rose window, frames the massive octagonal bell 
tower that has 8 flying bells.

St. Michel's tower is another prominent structure in the city. This Gothic church was built in 1247 by order of King St. Louis who wanted to replace the sanctuary that had been destroyed in a siege. During the Franco-British conflict of 1355, it was the only building left standing although it was severely damaged. New fortifications were put in and ditches up to 10 meters were dug around the building. In 1803, St. Michel's was declared the diocese's cathedral. A fire broke out in November 1849 and reconstruction began in 1857. 


The cathedral has a simple nave with several side chapels. Ogival (pointed) arches were erected from 1657-1752 while the vaults of the choir in the sanctuary date from the 13th century.

 
Modern brass electric lights in the shape of crosses seem a bit out of place in the interior of the medieval structure while painted columns and walls in the side chapels (below) illustrate the colorfulness of such churches. The cathedral was classified as a historical monument on July 12, 1886.

Gargoyles on the exterior protect the 7-sided sancturary on the exterior.

Canal du Midi

Carcassonne's strategic location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea had been known since the neolithic era. Dreams about joining the two bodies of water began in antiquity. In 1681, these dreams were finally realized with a 240-kilometer long canal that stretched from Étang de Thau near the Mediterranean to Toulouse, which then connects to the 193-kilometer Garonne Canal to the Atlantic Ocean. This canal was a model for others built in Europe, and it remains the oldest working canal today.

It took 14 years and 12,000 laborers to build the canal, which is regarded as a masterpiece of both hydraulic and structural engineering. It initially transported wheat, wine and textiles, and silk. The Canal du Midi operated until the 1970s when commercial transportation was replaced by trains and airplanes. Today, the canal provides tourists with pleasure boat rides. UNESCO named the canal a World Heritage Site in 1997.


Visitors to Carcassonne can see the locks in action by a women-run enterprise that operates both the locks and the pleasure boat rides.

The boat enters from a lower level and waits for the water to rise. Note that the top of the boat is level with the canal's walkway.

The locks have let the water in and is now high enough so that the boat is even with the canal's walkway.

The locks are now open so the boat can pass.

Bridge Over the River Aude

 













On the modern city side of the bridge, there is a small chapel, Notre Dame de la Santé (Our Lady of Good Health).

It was built near the city's hospitals in 1497. During the French Revolution, the chapel was sold to the government. (Many others were just confiscated by the government.) After the Revolution, the Diocese was allowed to buy it back. When it was originally built, it was elaborately decorated. Today, the chapel is a starting point for the Camino de Santiago.



Old Church Buildings

We came across a few old churches that had been repurposed. Chapel of the Dominicans was built in 1860. It became a school for girls in the 20th century and added a school for dance in 1949. In 1979, musical concerts were held in the former nave (see below). Today, the Chapelle hosts a bevy of cultural events.

 

We stayed at Notre Dame Abbey, once the home of the Capuchins. It now houses individual and group travelers.

Notre Dame Abbey is a 12th Century Capuchin monastery. Such places are available all over Europe, and they provide inexpensive accommodations in a pleasant environment usually in the center of the city. This abbey can house up to 100 people and it is a convenient 5-minute walk just up the hill and across a parking lot to La Cité, the old walled city. We were lucky to arrive 2 days before the abbey closed for individuals on November 1. Groups, however, may stay there throughout the year.

 

Exterior of the chapel.

 

In the morning, we prayed and chanted Lauds from the Divine Office of the Catholic Church and sat in the old choir seats, just like the monks did hundreds of years ago. Mass followed.
 
Single bedrooms are only 47 Euros, and they include a bathroom. A continental breakfast is available for 8 Euros and lunch and dinner are 14 Euros each. 


 

 

 

 

 

interior garden

The Modern City of Carcassonne
Outside of the walled city, which accommodates tourists, is the actual city of Carcassonne. It opens at the Jacobin Gate. This street is the main street, which intersects with another main street, thus forming the commercial downtown. Some of the sights in the city give clues about the culture there.

 
Streets nearby the city, however, seem abandoned. They are also extremely narrow, and it takes much alert driving to go through them. We even had a difficult time finding a place to buy a cup of coffee!

Some of the views in the city are breath-taking. Here is a street with the Cité in the background. 


The train station is beautiful and inviting. It is not far from the Canal.  I find it  inspiring to see the care and attention the French give to their train stations and public transportation in general. 

"Before me, recycling"

The French are very conscientious about saving the environment, and they do a lot of recycling. You can typically see recycling boxes on city streets at key locations that encourage people to recycle--and sometimes make it fun.

 

"Recycling...the life"

We had a very bad rainstorm on Wednesday, but managed to find shelter at just the right time. We also saw a rainbow over an old wall. 












One of our rain stops was a restaurant next to the major city square. We had tartiflette (sliced potatoes and cheese) and salad for lunch. The farmers market closed up a little early when it rained so hard.

 

For an afternoon snack (gouter), we had a Jesuit--in honor of Fr. Medaille, SJ--at the patisserie. A Jesuit is a cream-filled delight in a flaky crust covered with a light icing and sliced almonds.

 

 I love gargoyles and Carcassonne had plenty of them on their churches.  Their purpose was to keep the evil spirits away. Here are some close-ups of some great guys at work.

 
I also love old buildings that are just waiting for the next owner to turn them into something new. Here is an old bakery complete with shutters, tile roof, and an arched entrance. Très chic!










 
We happened to be in Carcassonne on Halloween. The city celebrated with characters like this and with children dressed up in costumes. While we were having dinner, children came into the restaurant where we were eating begging for candy. One boy waited for a long time, but the proprietor failed to come. He decided to move on but not until he reached into his bag--and gave a couple pieces of candy to us. How adorable he was!!




Pizza is very popular in France, but it is different from the USA. Here is an interesting list of choices from a restaurant menu in the old city. The French also like burgers, only they eat them with a knife and fork--unless they are at McDonald's. Then they use both hands.

jambon = ham
fromage = cheese
champignons = mushrooms
lardons = chunky bits of bacon
thon = tuna
saumon = salmon
steak haché = ground beef

One of our coffee stops was this hip brasserie. We ended up here for dinner on Wednesday night as it was the only place we could find that had parking. Unfortunately, the prices were high (starting at 25 Euros) and the menu, though gourmet, was not to our taste: pigeon, snails, various crustaceans, steak tartare. We left there, walked a little further, and found an Italian place where we had pasta, which was recognizable and affordable.

On our first night in Carcassonne, we ate at the Café Le Trouvère in the Old Cité, and sat at this window. It was a great setting because it felt as though we could see a whole world pass by. And we did. Several people stopped and interacted with us. One woman waved enthusiastically. One boy with a play sword and a "helmet of armor" tried to "stab" me. I responded by "wincing in pain" as I held my stomach from the "wound." He took another "stab" and I reacted similarly. Then he really went after me with blow after blow, and I reacted to each one. His parents eventually caught this little drama and gave me a thumbs-up in approval before they led their son onward to find his "mount." Sometimes you don't need words to communicate in a foreign land. Kids are the easiest to do this with. 


Another thing right outside the window was this little trough on the sidewalk. I fell on it myself and after a week, my knee still hurts. I made a bet with Eluiza that 5 people an hour would trip on that trough. She saw at least one go down. Well, it's all part of the drama of people watching.

On Friday morning, we left Carcassonne by another route, a smoother, less mountainous route than the one from Le Puy. It was a lot easier to drive as it went through beautiful farm country. Farms in France are not 1,000-acre plantations of monotony. They are small tracts on rolling hills divided by trees, bushes, or some sort of lush vegetation. The beautiful colors complement a variety of landscapes.