The Walled City of Carcassonne in Southern France

The walled town of Carcassonne in southern France supposedly earned its name from the Lady Carcas during a medieval siege.

The walls of Carcassonne, France.

Southern France is renowned for its delicious wine, dramatic scenery, and historical sites.

One of the most prominent attractions in the region is the walled townof Carcassonne. The city’s crenelated walls, metallic turrets, and cobblestone streets draw over three million visitors a year.

However, the story behind the town’s namesake is especially interesting. Legend has it that a woman by the name of Lady Carcas saved the city from a crippling siege. Despite being on the verge of starvation, Lady Carcas stuffed a pig full of wheat and released it from the town’s walls into the enemy troops beyond. 

Believing that the town’s defenders had so much wheat that they were able to feed their pigs with it, the attackers gave up and disappeared over the horizon. As a result, the town began to ring its bells in celebration, which became known as Carcas’s Sound, or Carcassonne.

I recently wrote an article and created a video on Carcassone for International Living. Read more about Carcassonne here, and feel free to watch the video below. I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts in the comments!


Comments

One response to “The Walled City of Carcassonne in Southern France”

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    Anonymous

    That is a real interesting historic background story of the city of Carcassonne, thank you for sharing it Shawn.

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