The Land of the Cathars

Bulwarks of Heresy

The Cathars were one of the most powerful of all medieval heretic groups in the 12th and 13th century. Especially in the south of France, the sect had many followers, even among aristocrats. In their castles the community sought protection from persecution by the church’s henchmen. Neither missionary attempts nor a crusade brought the Cathars under the control of the Pope.
And so the Holy See finally relied on the Inquisition to fight the dissenters. The Church’s battle against the Cathars lasted for a good 100 years.

For the “Inquisition” issue of GEO Epoche, I photographed the land of the Cathars and the four most important Cathar castles in the Pyrenees: Montségur, Peyrepertuse, Quéribus and Puilaurens.

Cathar Country near the village Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse — Cathar Country
View of the village Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. In the distance on the hill the silhouette of Castle Quéribus.

Château de Montségur

The castle of Montségur was the centre of the Cathar resistance against the Catholic Church. The fortress rises 1200 m above sea level on a rugged Pyrenean rock.
In 1243, the King of France sent an army to conquer the citadel with the Cathars entrenched there. After a ten-month siege, Montségur was taken in 1244. Most of the more than 200 Cathars died at the stake.

Château de Quéribus

Quéribus Castle in the borderland between France and Spain was one of many fortresses belonging to noble Cathar sympathisers. Whenever the Catholic authorities sent troops against the deviants, heretics found shelter here.

Château de Puilaurens

The leadership of the Catholic Church furiously persecuted the Cathars who, despite persecution, refused to abandon their faith. The castle of Puilaurens also served the Cathars as a retreat from the Inquisition.

Château de Peyrepertuse

The core region of the Cathars in Languedoc was fought over between France, England and Aragon. Therefore, no strong central power could develop there for a long time – and thus no coordinated persecution of the dissenters. In addition, there were numerous defensive structures in the area, such as Peyrepertuse Castle on its 800-metre-high limestone cliff.