A small, isolated mountain village in the Cathar country, Montaillou is perched on a ridge in the Pyrenees, with several streams running through it, including the Coume du Moulin and the Prade.
The village's history is largely linked to Catharism, as revisited in Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie's famous book “Montaillou, village occitan”.
Montaillou is crossed by the Chemin des Bonshommes (GR 107) and is highlighted by its church and the ruins of its castle, built by the lords of Alion at the end of the 12th century. The ruins were listed as a historic monument by decree on December 21, 1984, and the remains of the fortification walls surrounding the keep, and those of an “aristocratic” house unearthed in 2002, are still visible.
Montaillou today
The medieval parish church at the foot of the village is known as Chapelle Notre Dame des Carnesses.
It's a pretty little Romanesque church, still surrounded by its cemetery. In 1309, Geoffroy d'Ablis, inquisitor of Carcassonne, led the first inquisitorial roundup on the feast of the Assumption.
The entire population was taken prisoner, deported and imprisoned at the Carcassonne wall. Records show that bodies were dug up, tied to horses and dragged away. The remains were then burned.
Notre Dame de Montaillou church, in the center of the village, was built in the 17th century. Having burned down in 1883, it was restored and returned to worship on September 10, 1950, under the episcopacy of Monseigneur Cuiller.
The Jean Duvernoy historic center ...
It opened its doors on August 14, 2021, in the presence of the families of Jean Duvernoy and Emmanuel Leroy Ladurie.
Comprising two rooms, the museum takes you on a journey through time. Thanks to the many documented and illustrated panels, you'll discover the history of Montaillou in the Middle Ages.
You can learn more about the daily life of the inhabitants at the time, their beliefs, the farmyard: a place to live, the economy, the agro-pastoral environment, not forgetting the château, the village's famous fortress.
Montaillou Town Hall
Village
09110 Montaillou
Tel.: 04 68 20 31 91
https://www.mairie-montaillou.com/
