Montségur
| Montségur | ||
|---|---|---|
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Montségur seen from the castle | ||
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  Montségur | ||
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Location within Midi-Pyrénées region  Montségur | ||
| Coordinates: 42°52′20″N 1°50′03″E / 42.8722°N 1.8342°ECoordinates: 42°52′20″N 1°50′03″E / 42.8722°N 1.8342°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées | |
| Department | Ariège | |
| Arrondissement | Foix | |
| Canton | Lavelanet | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Michel François | |
| Area1 | 37.16 km2 (14.35 sq mi) | |
| Population (2008)2 | 108 | |
| • Density | 2.9/km2 (7.5/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 09211 / 09300 | |
| Elevation |
630–2,365 m (2,067–7,759 ft) (avg. 918 m or 3,012 ft) | |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
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Montségur is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.
It is famous for its fortification, the Château de Montségur, that was built on the "pog" (mountain) on the ruins of one of the last strongholds of the Cathars. The present fortress on the site, though described as one of the "Cathar castles," is actually of a later period. It has been listed as a historic site by the French Ministry of Culture since 1862.
History
The earliest signs of settlement in the area date back to the time of the Neanderthals, around 80,000 years ago.
Evidence of Roman occupation such as Roman currency and tools have also been found in and around the site. The name "Montségur" comes from Latin mons securus ("safe hill") which evolved into mont ségur in Occitan.
In the Middle Ages the Montségur region was ruled by the Counts of Toulouse, the Viscounts of Carcassonne and finally the Counts of Foix. In 1243–44, at the end of the Albigensian Crusade, the Cathars (a religious sect considered heretical by the Catholic Church) who had sought refuge at the Montségur fortress were besieged by 10,000 troops, in what is now known as the siege of Montségur. In March 1244, the Cathars finally surrendered and approximately 220 were burned en masse in a bonfire at the foot of the pog when they refused to renounce their faith. Some 25 actually took the ultimate Cathar vow of consolamentum perfecti in the two weeks before the final surrender.
In the late 13th century a new fortress was built by royal forces to guard the southern frontier.
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1962 | 97 | — |
| 1968 | 167 | +72.2% |
| 1975 | 143 | −14.4% |
| 1982 | 131 | −8.4% |
| 1990 | 124 | −5.3% |
| 1999 | 117 | −5.6% |
| 2008 | 108 | −7.7% |
Popular culture
English heavy metal band Iron Maiden have a song named "Montségur" on their album Dance of Death about the massacre of the Cathars.
The French guitarist, Pierre Bensusan, composed and performs the piece "Montségur."[1]
See also
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montségur. |
