Carcassonne : history and architecture

Carcassonne

History and Architecture

In Carcassonne, architecture tells the tale of history, and history gives constructions their meaning. From the Roman epoch to the present day, the destinies of Carcassonne, of the Languedoc and of France have been entwined. Events that were triumphant or painful, times that were flourishing or dire, all have left their mark.

The city's Roman, feudal, and royal fortifications testify to these times, as does the harmony of the Romanesque nave and Gothic transept of the Saint-Nazaire basilica.

The walled-town urbanism of the lower town is reminiscent of its medieval creation, its private mansions are the signs of its prosperity under the Ancien Régime. The Canal du Midi's port confirms the role Carcassonne never ceased to play, as the link between the Mediterranean world and the Atlantic fringe of Europe. The restorations of Viollet-le-Duc herald a new era of development for this exceptional heritage that has now earned world-wide recognition.