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of Carcassonne |
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of Carcassonne |
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The via domitia was going through the wine trail. At this time, tin coming from Cornwall was exchanged with amphoras and ceramics : archeological excavations revealed the existence of a Roman factory of amphoras close to Narbonne in Sallèle d'Aude. Walking in the lists (between the 2 walls), one can see the inside whose masonry is made of small stones often interrupted ; they 're the remainders of the Gallo-Roman constructions. Actually, they are the foundations of the current wall made of small cordons of red bricks which were to maintain a This tower is also flanked by Gallo-Roman towers. |
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This was the time of the great invasions and the city started to become dangerous that it why it became urgent to reinforce the city . This, did not prevent the VISIGOTHS from penetrating into NARBONNE and from taking CARCASSONNE in 436. This was the time of occupation by the Visigoths under the control of their king THEODORIC. At this period , the Visigoths stayed in Provence, Aquitaine and Septimanie, which would remain their last possession in Gaule together with Spain. The Visigoths occupation left few traces in the Aude : some objects such as belts buckles bronzed engraved or decorated with glassware or the toponymy (city names in ens : such as Pezens, Couffoulens, Sauzens...). |
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The Visigoths were not manufacturers. We very often attribute them constructions of towers that are Gallo Romans in fact. But taking into account the battles , most of the towers were destroyed and the Visigoths had to carry out the particular style. |
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The city was then divided into 16 châtellenies = boroughs: a part of the enclosure, in general including 1 or 2 towers, was placed under the responsibility of faithful noble.
Two boroughs were
attached to the city: The Saint - Michael and Saint -Vincent.
At this time Carcassonne was rich and prosperous: taxes from
travelling merchants were raised sometimes reaching half the
value of the products.
During this period settled a new religion: CATHARISM, which had a lot of followers.
Carcassonne grew rich as we estimate at nearly 50% of taxes (on their products) that were taken on the travelling merchants.
During the XVIIIth century and, as all the monuments of the middle-ages, the Walled City of Carcassonne was abandoned.
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Stone coming from crenellations were used to build here and there small barracks taking support on the 2 walls. |
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The roofs of the towers were ruined. Some of these towers were used as garage, cellars or workshops.
Here is the project of restoration of Viollet-le-Duc :
The worst was a decree of 1850 wich
condemned the whole of the fortifications to demolition.
Jean-Pierre Cros-Meyrevieille (an historian and archeologist) saved
the city of such destruction. Thanks to him, to Mérimée
and especially to the architect Viollet Le Duc, the walled city of
Carcassonne passed under the control of "the administration of the
arts". Then, started the restoration of the city, wich had already
been undertaken in 1844 with the Church of Saint-Nazaire.
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In 1853 was undertaken the restoration of
the fortifications.
Crenels were rebuilt, roofs remade and vaults consolidated. Almost 15
% of the city has been repaired.
Even though this restoration work removes the authenticity of the
monument, the most energetic action was led by Viollet Le Duc, whose
work was pursued further still after his death in 1879 by one of his
student Boeswillwald and later by the architecht Nodet.
