Carcassonne beats the Disney castle for 'Most Medieval'

Carcassonne        beats the Disney castle for 'Most Medieval'

August 16-18, 1999:

"Wow!"        was all we could say for a few minutes after seeing the        Carcassonne skyline.

Stone walls and        pointy towers stab to the heart of our archetypes.

Every        night we were there we wandered the walls under their        spell.

They're        careful to maintain the effect, even choosing nighttime        spots that make it seem like firelight is lighting the        walls.

Carcassonne        was founded by the Romans and spent most of its life as a        trading town, being on the ancient border between France        and Spain.

In        the middle ages, it was fortified by the Cathars, a        religious sect which was stamped out by Catholicism for        the sin of eschewing wealth and adhering to the sermon on        the mount.

This        area of France is covered with other Cathar castles, like        the one to the right which we saw in a photo show.

Of        course, it's too good to be true.

Back in 1844 a famous        French architect named Viollet-le-Duc rescued the city        from decreed destruction and 'restored' it.

Well le-Duc was from the north of France, not the south where        Carcassonne is. So how'd he make the tower tops look?

To        the left you can see the pointy, slate roofed tower tops.        Those are all from 1844. Back before the border was moved        and the nobles let the townsfolk take the tower stones        for their homes, any roofs on the towers would have been        pink tiles like you see in the town below. (Most towers        didn't have roofs.)

The        one tall, square tower was too tall for people to reach,        so they never took any stones, so le-Duc didn't need to        restore it.

The        original builders had defense on their minds.

Here        you see a 'false door.' It's inside the first round of        walls. Attackers would have found a convincing looking        wooden door in this space and spend the time battering it        down, only to find this wall.

Then the real fun started. Once the        attackers had bared the wall, the defenders would drop        these these 200lb stones which would then roll down the        sloped wall and demolish the attackers.

Just        like Indiana Jones.

Of        course it's a law of nature that sights like these will        draw a crowd.

But        it was interesting that though we were all clad in modern        dress, buying with credit cards, it still lent to that        authentic feel. We were crowded in noisy, narrow streets        engaged in trade just like the people of medieval times.

We        were even buying authentic medieval stuff...

The        crowds made it difficult to be alone with out        photographic subject.

There        was a theatre that broadcast the most evocative music        over the city at night.

Just        like in the middle ages, most people ignore the beggars.

        Roman tower        overlooking Medieval walls
        The Romans could afford to leave bigger windows because the        projectile
        weapons of their time weren't that good.

Ride with us to the South        of France ...

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