Classed among the "Most beautiful villages in France", the city of Minerve owes its name to the Occitan Menèrba, the Celtic men (stone, rock) and herbal derivatives (asylum, refuge).
Situated on a rocky promontory cut by two rivers, the Cesse and the Brian, at an altitude of 193 m, Minerve, the historic capital of the Minervois, is an ancient bastion of Catharism, destroyed in 1210 by Simon de Montfort. After the sacking of the town of Béziers in 1209, the siege of Minerve marked a high point in the struggle waged throughout the Cathar country.
Bombarded by the catapults, thirsty, the Perfect Ones, the name given to the Cathars, refused to abjure their faith and were condemned to be burned at the stake.
A stele was erected to commemorate a Cathar pyre.
A period that Minerve keeps in memory with its medieval alleys and within the Hurepel museum.
Another museum is dedicated to the important palaeontological discoveries made in the nearby Aldène cave.
In Minerve you should visit both museums, the Hurepel Museum and the Archaeological and Palaeontological Museum, but also the remains of the fortress and the octagonal tower, the double enclosure dating from the 12th century, the south gate with an ogival park dating from the 13th century, the old parapet walk and take the underground path under a limestone vault leading to the postern.
Finally, one cannot talk about Minerve and Minervois without forgetting the panorama of the gorges, the natural bridges, the fruit of the work of water, forming tunnels pierced in the limestone of the causse and the AOC wines.
Minervois Tourist Office
9 Martyrs Street,
34210 Minerva
Tel: 04 68 91 81 43
https://www.minervois-tourisme.fr/minerve
