MedievalAuthor
Historical fiction by Jean L Gorman
  • About the Chronicles
    • The Queen's Knight
    • At the King's Pleasure
    • About Richard the Lionheart
  • Mediaeval Castles
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    • Jousting
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Cathar Castles?

26/5/2014

 
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There is an interesting difference between the Tourist Board emphasis of the castles of the region being Cathar Castles, and the leaflets and books at the castle gates saying that the castles merely sheltered some heretics for a few years. The emphasis here being these were castles loyal to the French king and any nasty heretics were quickly dealt with by the hero, Simon de Montfort. 
No mention is made of the wholesale massacres and burnings. The church point of view reigns supreme. Info-leaflets issued at the gate give no details of what happened. One must be willing to spend half an hour delving into the weighty tomes in the bookshop to discover the beliefs and fate of the Cathars.

Puylaurens Castle

26/5/2014

 
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Fantastic castle unbelievably remote and high, bedded into solid rock.
The road there went over passes 3600 ft high with snow poles beside them for winter. Scarily narrow for a right-hand drive bunny and a cool river waiting below in the Quillan to Axat gorge. Thunder rumbled while I walked round. Great views of the Pyrenees.

Prudence had better watch out!

25/5/2014

 
As you drive up into a medieval village, it pays to have a Fiat 500!
OMG!

A Fairytale Castle

23/5/2014

 
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If you want it, you can have it for a mere 20 million Euro.
The Windows give the age away. It's mostly fifteenth century. At the moment it has a set of nettles and brambles worthy of Sleeping Beauty. The 12th century Coeur de Lion bit is below.

Chalus near Limoges

20/5/2014

 
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OK! So you come 18,000 km to see the castle where Richard was killed, and maybe get a flavour of the times. Instead this high, very closed gate with the for sale sign is what greets you! There is a signposted route, orchestrated by the Tourist board, called the Route Coeur de Lion. So far all the castles have been closed, private, interdit, or covered in scaffolding. Humph!


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    About this Blog

    My travels through contemporary France in search of Richard the Lionheart and relics of his 12th century kingdom. 
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     Paris,  Rouen then the Duchy of Aquitaine, seeking useful detail and atmosphere for the second novel in the Lionheart Chronicles.

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Photos used under Creative Commons from jurvetson, jurvetson, Capt' Gorgeous, @lain G, le retour !, jurvetson, texaus1, Dani_vr, umbrellahead56