The Cathar village of Montaillou

Montaillou was a very small and insignificant village in the sheep rearing region of the Ariege in southern France during the Twelfth and Thirteenth centuries. It is distinguished by being one of the last pockets of Catharism in the area. The Bishop of Pamiers - Jacques Fournier - later to be Archbishop of Albi and then finally Pope Benedict XII, examined accused heretics by means of a minutely careful interrogation of them about their daily lives, and thus provided us with an intimate record of their daily lives.

Eventually the ... (more)

Plateau de Sault I
The road leading to Montaillou crosses the Sault plateau which in...

Plateau de Sault II
These plateaux are typical of this mountainous area, and while in the time of...

Distant Montaillou
The 13th century village of Montaillou was situated under the ruined castle...

Montaillou's castle
A closer view of the castle with the new village some distance below it.

Present day Montaillou
This I believe is the original church in which many of the thirteenth century...

Spring and horse-trough in Montaillou
This spring is much lower down the village than the ones that watered the old...

The ancient terracing at Montaillou
These terraces which already existed in the time in which the book is...

Col de Chioula
Spain, covered in snow here, was a yearly destination for the shepherds who...

Distant Spain
It must have been a terribly hard life here in the 12th and 13th...

article published 08/08/2002

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Just finished a book having to do with the Cathars, and did some exploring and found your site. Enjoyed the photos, which added extra depth to the reading matter.
— Elizabeth R Baecher, August 8, 2006

Please feel free to use the photos in your work but please accredit them to me.
— Gordon Evans, January 15, 2004

I am currently working on a home test for a (university) course I took on the inquisition. I am absolutely fascinated by the book and the insights it gives f the lives of ordinary villagers of the time. These pictures help to make the story come even more alive by showing the scenery in which it took place.
— Jair geiman, June 17, 2003

Montaillou
I am having to read the book Montaillou for a History Class at my university and this site was very helpful, especially since it included pictures of where the village was located during the time period of which was written about. The book is very interesting to those who love history. It is a perfect example of an Annales School writing of history....Marc Bloch would be proud!
— Cassondra, November 23, 2002