Carcassonne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carcassonne Carcassona  (Occitan)
Prefecture and commune
Aerial photograph of the Cité de Carcassonne
Coat of arms
Carcassonne Location in France Show map of France Carcassonne Location in Occitanie Show map of Occitanie
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Carcassonne
Canton	Carcassonne-1, 2 and 3
Intercommunality	Carcassonne Agglo
Area 1	65.08 km2 (25.13 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	46,218
• Density	710.17/km2 (1,839.34/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	11069 /11000
Elevation	81–250 m (266–820 ft) (avg. 111 m or 364 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Carcassonne is a famous fortified city in the south of France. It is the main city of the Aude department in the Occitania region.

People have lived in Carcassonne since the Neolithic period, which was a very long time ago. The city is located in a flat area near the Aude River. This spot was important because it was on trade routes connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, and the Massif Central mountains to the Pyrénées.

The Romans quickly saw how important this location was. They built a fort on the hilltop. Later, in the 5th century, the Visigoths took over and founded the city of Carcassonne.

The most famous part of Carcassonne is its citadel, called the Cité de Carcassonne. This is a medieval fortress that dates back to Roman times. It was carefully restored by an architect named Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 1800s. In 1997, UNESCO added the Cité de Carcassonne to its list of World Heritage Sites. This was because the medieval fortress was so well preserved and restored. Today, Carcassonne is a popular place for tourists. It also has manufacturing and winemaking industries.

Exploring Carcassonne

Where is Carcassonne?

Carcassonne is in the south of France, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Toulouse. Its location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea has always been important. The city covers about 65 square kilometers (25 square miles). The rivers Aude and Fresquel, and the Canal du Midi, all flow through the city.

A Look Back in Time

Early Settlements and Legends

The first signs of people living here are from around 3500 BC. The hill where the city stands became an important trading place around 600 BC. The Volcae Tectosages, a Celtic tribe, built a hill fort there and called it "Carsac."

There's a fun legend about how Carcassonne got its name. It tells of a lady named Lady Carcas who tricked an enemy army during a siege. When the siege ended, she rang bells, and people shouted "Carcas sona!" which means "Carcas rang!" However, this story is just a legend. The name likely comes from an older word related to "Carcas."

Roman and Visigothic Times

The Romans made the hilltop a strong fort around 100 BC. They called it Julia Carsaco, which later became Carcaso. Some of the lower parts of the northern walls are from Roman times. In 462 AD, the Romans gave the area to the Visigoths. The Visigothic king Theodoric II built more defenses, as Carcassonne was a border town.

Theodoric is also thought to have started building a church, which is now the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus. In 508 AD, the Visigoths successfully stopped attacks from the Frankish king Clovis I. Later, in 719 AD, Muslim forces invaded the region. They were defeated by the Christian Franks in 759 AD, and the Carolingian king Pepin the Short took control.

Medieval Carcassonne and the Crusades

During the Middle Ages, Carcassonne was part of a county. The first known count was Bello of Carcassonne around the time of Charlemagne. His family ruled for three centuries. In 1067, Carcassonne became part of the Trencavel family's lands. They built the Château Comtal (Count's Castle) and the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus. In 1096, Pope Urban II blessed the start of the new Carcassonne Cathedral.

Carcassonne became very important during the Albigensian Crusade. This was a war against the Cathars, a religious group in the region. In August 1209, a crusader army led by Arnaud Amalric forced the city to surrender. The viscount, Raymond-Roger de Trencavel, was captured and died mysteriously. The people of Carcassonne were told to leave their city. Simon de Montfort became the new ruler and added more defenses.

How the Frankish Empire grew:
Blue shows the area of Pepin the Short in 758;
Orange shows how it grew under Charlemagne until 814.

In 1240, Trencavel's son tried to take back the city but failed. Carcassonne then became part of the Kingdom of France in 1247. It was an important border fortress between France and the Crown of Aragon after the 1258 Treaty of Corbeil. King Louis IX and Philip III built new outer walls. People thought the fortress could not be captured. During the Hundred Years' War, Edward the Black Prince tried to take the city in 1355 but failed, though his troops destroyed the lower town.

In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees changed the border, and Carcassonne became less important militarily. Its defenses were left alone. The city then became known for its wool textile industry. This lasted until the end of the 1700s, when it became a smaller country town again.

Clever Defenses

Carcassonne was one of the first fortresses to use "hoardings" during a siege. These were temporary wooden platforms and walls attached to the upper parts of the fortress. They protected the defenders and allowed them to drop things on attackers below.

Main Sights to See

The Fortified City (Cité de Carcassonne)

This old drawing of Carcassonne from 1462 helped Eugène Viollet-le-Duc decide how to restore the towers with pointed roofs.

The fortified city has two outer walls with 53 towers and special defenses called barbicans. These were designed to stop enemy siege machines. The castle inside has its own drawbridge and ditch. The walls were built over a long time. One part is Roman and looks different from the medieval walls, with red brick layers and flat tile roofs. One tower, known as "The Inquisition Tower," was used by the Catholic Inquisition in the 13th century.

After Napoleon Bonaparte's time, the fortified city fell into disrepair. The French government even thought about tearing it down in 1849. But a local historian, Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, and a writer, Prosper Mérimée, fought to save it. Later that year, the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was hired to restore it.

Work began in 1853. Viollet-le-Duc focused on fixing the roofs of the towers and the walls. He also removed buildings that had been built against the old walls. He left many notes and drawings when he died in 1879, and his students continued the work.

Some people criticized Viollet-le-Duc's restoration. He used slate for the roofs, which was more common in northern France, instead of the local terracotta tiles. He also added pointed tips to the roofs, which some thought didn't fit the original style.

The Lower Town

Lower town across the Aude river

The ville basse (lower town) was built in the Late Middle Ages. It was founded by people who were forced to leave the old city after the crusades. For centuries, it has been the main economic center of Carcassonne. Most of its old walls are gone now. The Carcassonne Cathedral is located in this part of the town.

Other Interesting Places

The fortified city of Carcassonne and the Pont Vieux crossing the Aude river

• The Pont Marengo bridge crosses the Canal du Midi and leads to the railway station.
• The Lac de la Cavayère is a lake created for fun activities, just a short drive from the city center.
• You can also visit:
  • The Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus
  • The Carcassonne Cathedral
  • Church of St. Vincent

Weather in Carcassonne

Carcassonne has a warm climate, with mild and somewhat wet winters. Summers are usually hot, with average daytime temperatures above 28°C (82°F) and not much rain.

Sometimes, in late summer and early autumn, Carcassonne can have strong thunderstorms and very heavy rains. This can cause floods, like the one that happened in October 2018.

How Many People Live Here?

Carcassonne's Economy

The newer part of the city, called the Ville Basse, makes things like shoes, rubber, and textiles. It's also a big center for making AOC wines. A lot of the city's money comes from tourism, especially from people visiting the old fortifications and taking boat trips on the Canal du Midi. Carcassonne gets about three million visitors every year!

The fortified city wall

Getting Around

Carcassonne airport started having budget flights to and from European cities in the late 1990s. By 2009, you could fly to places like London-Stansted, Dublin, and Brussels.

The Gare de Carcassonne railway station has direct trains to major French cities like Toulouse, Narbonne, Paris, and Marseille. The A61 motorway also connects Carcassonne to Toulouse and Narbonne.

Education

• École nationale de l'aviation civile

Language

French is the main language spoken in Carcassonne. However, historically, the language spoken here and in the wider Languedoc-Roussillon region was Occitan.

Sports in Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a popular spot for the Tour de France cycling race. In July 2021, it was the finish line for one stage and the starting point for another. This is where Mark Cavendish tied the record for the most Tour de France stage wins! The city was also a stop for the race in 2018, 2016, 2004, and 2006.

Like in other parts of southwest France, rugby union is very popular in Carcassonne. The local team is called Union Sportive Carcassonnaise, or USC. They have a proud history, even playing in the French Championship Final in 1925. They currently play in Pro D2, the second-highest level of French rugby.

Rugby league is also played by the AS Carcassonne club. A famous rugby league player from Carcassonne, Puig Aubert, has a bronze statue outside the Stade Albert Domec stadium, where both rugby teams play.

Art in the City

Felice Varini's "Concentric, eccentric" project with yellow circles on the Carcassonne walls in May 2018.

In May 2018, a special art project called "Concentric, eccentric" by artist Felice Varini was set up at Carcassonne. Large yellow circles were placed on the monument. This was part of an art event celebrating the 20th anniversary of Carcassonne being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This huge artwork covered the western side of the fortifications. You could only see the full design from one specific spot. The yellow circles were made of thin, painted aluminum sheets. They seemed to spread like waves across the towers and walls. This artwork was only visible from May to September 2018.

Carcassonne in Culture

• The French poet Gustave Nadaud made Carcassonne famous with a poem about a man who dreamed of seeing the city but couldn't before he died. This poem inspired many others and was translated into English.
• On March 6, 2000, France released a stamp celebrating the fortress of Carcassonne.

Famous People from Carcassonne

• Paul Lacombe, a French composer, born in 1837.
• Paul Sabatier, a French chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, born in 1854.
• Olivia Ruiz, a French pop singer, born in 1980.

Carcassonne Around the World

Carcassonne is twinned with these cities:

• Eggenfelden, Germany
• Baeza, Spain
• Tallinn, Estonia

Images for kids

• Narbonne-carcas.png

  A sculpture of Lady Carcas near the Narbonne Gate.

See also

In Spanish: Carcasona para niños