Cathar Castles by Marcus Cowper

Author:Marcus Cowper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Cathar Castles: Fortresses of the Albigensian Crusade 1209–1300
ISBN: 9781780969770
Publisher: Osprey Publishing

The abbey at Lagrasse was one of the major landowners in the region and controlled a large number of the hilltop fortifications such as Padern and Arques. (Author’s collection)

The coming of the northern crusaders changed this world completely. When Simon de Montfort assumed the title of viscount of Béziers and Carcassonne, he rapidly began to dispossess the lords in the Trencavel territories who would not submit to him, removing their inheritance and turning them into what became known as faidits – dispossessed knights who fought for the southern cause. In their place Simon appointed his own lieutenants, men such as Bouchard of Marly and Guy of Lévis, to create a new aristocracy in the region.

In 1212, following Raymond VI of Toulouse’s excommunication, Simon de Montfort called a parlement at Pamiers and announced a series of statutes for the way the south was to be run. Apart from many features concerning dues to the church and the treatment of heretics, what stands out is Simon’s desire for control through vassalage over all the land that he gave to his supporters; no one was to build fortifications without his consent. He also declared that from this point onwards the northern rules of inheritance would apply and that any southern heiress of a fortified site was to be married to a northern nobleman. The southern aristocratic way of life changed forever.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.