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Castle at Lavaur (
Castèl de Lavaur)
In March 1211, during the wars against the Cathars of the Languedoc,
Lavaur was besieged by Simon
de Montfort. The town fell on 3rd of May, 1211, following which
the French Catholic Crusaders excelled even themselves in cruelty
and disregard for the accepted rules of war. The head of the
garrison, Aimeric-de-Montréal, was hanged along with his
knights. His widowed sister, the chatelaine of Lavaur, Gerauda (or
Geralda) de Lavaur, was brutally murdered.
Today nothing remains of the Medieval Castle, but you can visit
a memorial commemorating Lady Gerauda' s murder and the loss of
independence of the people of Occitania, and also a Cathedral built
to mark the Catholic victory.
See separate sections below on:
Address / Maps
/ Location
History
The Battle of
Montgey
Architecture
Photographs
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Monument at Lavaur
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Address
Contact
James McDonald
Tel from the US: 010 33 468 201142
Tel from the UK: 01 33 468 201142
Tel from France: 0468 201142
Tel other: + 33 468 201142
e-mail castlesandmanorhouses@gmail.com
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Google Maps
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Small scale map showing the location of Château de Lavaur |
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Google map showing the location of Château de Lavaur |
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Large scale map showing Château de Lavaur |
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Location
Lavaur is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.
It lies 37 km Southeast of Montauban by rail. Lavaur stands on the
left bank of the Agout, now crossed by a railway-bridge and a stone
bridge of the late 18th century.
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History
In 1180-1181, well before the Crusade against the Cathars, There
was another military expedition, led by a Cistercian
against the people of the Languedoc. Henry
of Marcy, Abbot of Clairvaux had taken part in a failed mission
to the Languedoc in 1178. A little later, as Cardinal-Bishop of
Albano, he tried again. His failure as a preacher led to him head
a military expedition against the territories of Roger II Trencavel,
Viscount of Béziers,
anticipating Arnaud
Amaury, the Cistercian
Abbot who lead the Albigensian
Crusade. Commanding armed forces provided by Raymond
V of Toulouse, Henry successfully took Lavaur in 1181, forcing
the submission of its lord and capturing two Cathar
Parfaits.
A generation later in March 1211, during the wars against the Cathars
of the Languedoc, Lavaur was besieged again, this time by Simon
de Montfort. The town fell on 3rd of May, 1211, following which
the French crusaders excelled even themselves in cruelty and disregard
for the accepted rules of war. The head of the garrison, Aimeric-de-Montréal,
was hanged along with his knights. His widowed sister, the chatelaine
of Lavaur, Gerauda (or Guiraude or Geralda) de Lavaur, was brutally
murdered. The
Song of the Cathar Wars [laisee 68] relates the event, pointing
out that Gerauda had been famed for her generosity to all - any
visitor would be invited to dine (see below)
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The
Song of the Cathar Wars [laisee 68]
C'anc mais tant gran baro en la crestiandat
No cug que fos pendutz, ab tant cavar de latz;
Que sol de cavaliers n'i a ladoncs comtat
Trop mais de quatre vins, so me dig un clergat...
Estiers dama Girauda qu'an en UN potz gitat:
De pieras la cubriron; don fo dols e pecatz,
Que ja nulhs hom de segle, so sapchatz de vertatz
No partira de leis entro agues manjat.
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Never so far as I know has so great a lord
Been hanged in all of Christendom,
Nor with so many knights at his side
More than eighty of them, there were, so a clerk told me...
Beside this, they threw Lady Geralda into a well
And heaped stones on top of her, a shame and a sin
For no one in this world, you may take my word for it,
Ever left her presence without having eaten.
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As in all other cases, Cathar
parfaits declined to abjure their faith. 400 Cathars were
burned alive by the crusaders, "with great joy" as the Catholic
chronicler de Cernay noted. (The crusaders generally burned
people alive "with great joy" - cum ingenti gaudio).
One Parfait
allegedly renounced his faith. The rest sang canticles as
they were being led to the pyres. Here is the account of the
whole series of murderous events given by Pierre des Vaux de Cernay
(§227, p 117):
Soon Aimeric, the former lord of Montréal. of whom we
spoke above, was led out of Lavaur with up to eighty other knights.
The noble Count [de Montfort] proposed that they should all be
hanged from fork-shaped gibbets. However, after Aimeric, who was
taller than the others, had been hanged, the gibbets started to
fall down, since through excessive haste they had not been properly
fixed in the ground. The Count realised that to continue would
cause a long delay and ordered the rest to be put to the sword.
The crusaders fell to this task with great enthusiasm and quickly
slew them on the spot. The Count had the Lady of Lavaur, sister
of Aimeric and a heretic of the worst sort, thrown into a pit
and stones heaped on her. Our crusaders burnt innumerable heretics,
with great joy.
Today a sign at the top of the steps from the street to the esplanade
tells the same story, pointing out that the massacre here was the
largest of the crusade.
Haut lieu du Catharism, emplacement du chateau de Dame Giraude,
1211, prise de Lavaur par S. de Montfort, chef de la Croisade
contre les Albigeois. Dame Guraude fut jettée dans
UN puits, 400 Cathares furirent jetté dans les flammes
du plus grand bucher de la croide.
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High place of Catharism, location of the castle of Lady Geralda,
at Lavaur, 1211, taken by Simon de Montfort, leader of the
Crusade against the Albigensians. Lady Geralda was thrown
into a well, 400 Cathars were thrown into the flames in the
largest mass-burning of the crusade.
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A LA VAUR LO POBLE
OCCITAN PERDET SON
INDEPENDENCIA
MAS DINS SET SEGLES
LO LAURIER TORNA
VERDEJAR
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AT LAVAUR THE OCCITAN
PEOPLE LOST THEIR
INDEPENDENCE
BUT IN SEVEN CENTURIES
THE LAUREL WILL AGAIN
FLOURISH
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Is also says on the base in French, with the webmaster's loose
transl;ation:
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En ces lieux Dame Giraude et ses chevaliers affronteront
les croises de Simon de Montfort. avril-mai 1211
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At this place Lady Geralda and her knights faced the
crusaders of Simon de Montfort. April-May 1211
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Each year since 1971 the local archaeological society has organised
a ceremony to mark the fall of Lavaur and the murder of Dame Guiraude
de Laurac. Garlands of flowers are placed on the memorial, with
the motto "Pretz, Paratge et Convivença"
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Montgey
During the siege of Lavaur a contingent of German Crusaders were
ambushed by the Count of Foix in April 1211 on their way to join
Simon de Montfort's siege.
Illustration of the battle at Montgey from
the Canso
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The Château of Montgey today
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The Château ot Montgey today
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Memorial to the Crusaders killed at Montgey
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Memorial to the Crusaders killed at Montgey
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Architecture
Nothing remains of the castle here. For many years it was used
as a prison, and was demolished two centuries ago. Today, the site
is a public garden with memorials to the Lady of Lavaur and her
knights who fought here, and who having surrendered were murdered
by the Crusaders under Simon de Montfort.
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GUIDED TOURS OF CATHAR CASTLES OF THE LANGUEDOC
You can join small exclusive guided tours of Cathar Castles
led by an English speaking expert on the Cathars
who lives in the Languedoc
(author of www.cathar.info)
Selected Cathar Castles. Accommodation provided. Transport
Provided.
Cathar Origins, History, Beliefs.
The Crusade, The Inquisition, and Consequences
Visit
the Cathar Tours Website for more information
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Photographs
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Les gens de Lavaur et leurs allies affrontant
les croises
(The people of Lavaur and their Allies Confront the Crusaders)
- 1211
by Hervé Olivier, Oil on Wood.
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Dame Guiraude Supplice, Prise de Lavaur
(Histoire du Catharisme, Quintilla y Cardona, S-L Barcelone,
ed Orient)
The murder of Dame Guiraude at Lavar: In
the foreground she is being thrown down a well. In the midground
are the ruins of her castle and (anachronistically) the Cathedral
of Saint Alain, and in the background we see the flames and
smoke as some 400 Cathars are burned alive.
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The text says: "In the year 1211, the
town of Lavaur having been besieged by Simon de Montfort and
his crusaders, the very great Lady Geralde, in recompense
for her fine resistance, was thrown alive into a very deep
well and then buried under heavy stones. All this was done
on the orders of the cruel baron."
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Jacques Fauché, oil on wood
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Dame Guiraude jetée dans UN puits,
1960, by Jacques Fauché, oil on wood
Dame Guiraude, Lady of Lavaur, murdered by
the crusaders by being thrown into a well on 3 May 2011
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