Carcassonne

During the summer of my junior year of University, I worked as an intern at Chicago's Field Museum with mycologists (mushroom scientists) studying the effects of nitrogen pollution on local fungi populations, and learning a great deal about foraging and identifying. Friday nights at the museum meant one thing: our group of researchers would come together for boardgames. One of our favorites was Carcassonne, a game in which players received points for building castles, roads and homes, in attempt to have the largest kingdom. This was the first I learned of the medieval city in the south of France, which to me seemed like more of a fictional representation of a past time period then a place which could exist today.

But in fact it does exist today, and it exists remarkably well.  The tendency to be distracted by it's fantasy is also present: it is a castle looming out of vineyards in tuscan-like landscapes, and now inhabited with more cafes and linen shops than armies and kings. Yet the history of this fortified town is fascinating, if one takes the time to learn a bit of this little-studied history. Starting with the roman settlement in 200 B.C., Carcassonne has been inhabited by the Visigoths, the muslim Saracens from Spain, Christians during the Charlegmagne reign, the Cathars, and even Jewish families seeking refugee during Nazi occupation of France during WWII. Without going into the full history and stories of this fortified city here, the knowledge of this history brings the arrow slits on the tall, thick walls to life; and gives us the pleasure of knowing who is the woman represented in the statue on the east entrance. 

But in addition to being of historical interest, the fortified town is still functioning and bustling today. It lacks the feeling of a museum, and somehow even the tourist shops selling medieval trinkets are not bothersome but add movement to the winding streets. What's more, it's a nice surprise to discover that it's an affordable town. We stopped in to visit a shop selling linens, and a shop selling artesian wool products, which left me with a beautiful wool beret. 

Street performers and vendors attempted to recreate a medieval atmosphere. A man performed balancing glass balls. Additionally, a stand sold a dark, spice bread, using a recipe claiming to date back centuries.