- Montségur
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Montsйgur
MontsйgurAdministration Country France Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Ariège Arrondissement Foix Canton Lavelanet Mayor Michel François
(2008–2014)Statistics Elevation 630–2,365 m (2,070–7,759 ft)
(avg. 918 m/3,012 ft)Land area1 37.16 km2 (14.35 sq mi) Population2 108 (2008) - Density 3 /km2 (7.8 /sq mi) INSEE/Postal code 09211/ 09300 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. Coordinates: 42°52′20″N 1°50′03″E / 42.8722222222°N 1.83416666667°E
Montsйgur 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 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 monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1862.
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History
The earliest signs of human settlement in the area date back to the stone age, around 80,000 years ago. Evidence of Roman occupation such as Roman currency and tools have also been found in and around the site. In the Middle Ages the Montsйgur region was ruled by the Counts of Toulouse, the Viscounts of Carcassonne and finally the Counts of Foix. In 1243–44, the Cathars (a religious sect considered heretical by the Catholic Church) were besieged at Montsйgur by 10,000 troops at the end of the Albigensian Crusade. 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. Later a new fortress was built by royal forces to guard the southern frontier.
Population
Historical population of Montségur 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2008 97 167 143 131 124 117 108 See also
References
Categories:- Communes of Ariège
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