In the summer of 1999 with my then boyfriend, Rob, we made a sort of pilgrimage to the Languedoc region in Southern France.
I say pilgrimage as for Rob it was. Having seen a Channel 4 documentary about the Cathars and their subsequent demise in the 13th century, he had decided to write a book about them; they were mainly based in the Languedoc region.
So returning here in 2011 I was keen to find out more, and also visit some of the sites and towns I'd been to previously.
On arrival I discovered a library of books in the house we'd rented. Amongst these was 'Chasing the heretics', lauded in the house visitors book as a 'good read' - I agree!
It's taken me 24 hours to read this part history and part travel journal around the region and story of the persecution and eventual eradication of the Cathars.
I knew the basics; of the glossy and unjust attack on Bram, of the blood thirsty land grabbing by Simon de Montfort, and the beliefs of the Cathars themselves.
In my first year at university I'd even written a short essay on the Albigensian Crusades - although it was probably completely crap!
But this book put much of it in order for me, and located it all in the landscape we were staying in on a recent trip to France.
The modern visits by Klawinski are interesting (despite to being that well written), and show how little remains of a very troubled time in the region. But the historical sections were of most interest to me - even if I am unsure of the academic rigour of what is written.
The book uses as it's main sources two books that I am aware of but haven't read - 'The Albigensian Crusades' by Jonathan Sumption (1978), and 'The Albigensian Crusades' by Joseph R Strayer (1971) - I wonder if anything has been written more recently?
It's fired my interest again, and I'm keen to visit some of the sites mentioned.
Borrowed from library of rented cottage in France.
3rd - 4th June 2011
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