Carcassonne, France: Europe's Ultimate Fortress City
More info about travel to Carcassonne: The fortress city of Carcassonne is a 13th-century world of towers, turrets, and cobblestone alleys. This is Europe's ultimate walled fortress city.
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Top 15 Things To Do In Carcassonne, France
Cheapest Hotels To Stay In Carcassonne -
Best Tours To Enjoy Carcassonne -
Cheap Airline Tickets -
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Here are top 15 things to do in Carcassonne, France
All photos belong to their rightful owners. Credit next to name.
1. Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus -
2. Canal du Midi – barge trip -
3. Carcassonne Cathedral -
4. Narbonne -
5. Château Comtal and Ramparts -
6. Lac de la Cavayère -
7. Carcassonne Lower City -
8. La Cité de Carcassonne -
9. Museum of the Inquisition -
10. Musée des Beaux-Arts -
11. Caunes-Minervois -
12. Châteaux de Lastours -
13. Wine -
14. School Museum -
15. Cuisine -
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France's Dordogne
Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide | The Dordogne River Valley — with its dramatic castles, evocative cave paintings, and prized cuisine — is an unforgettable blend of man-made and natural beauty. We'll take an idyllic canoe ride, and then visit a goose farm and savor the foie gras. We'll also wander through a lamp-lit castle, enjoy a country market, and visit the Sistine Chapel of the prehistoric world. Then we head south to Albi, home of Toulouse-Lautrec, and the imposing fortress city of Carcassonne.
© 2008 Rick Steves' Europe
Carcassonne, France - Where The Middle Ages Come Alive
The Medieval fortress city of Carcassonne, France offers an extraordinary opportunity to experience what it was like to live in the Middle Ages. The Roman's built a fortress here in 100 BC. The Emperor Charlemagne laid siege to the town as did England's Black Prince during the Hundred Years War. In 1849, the government was prepared to demolish the huge fortress but city leaders and those interested in historic preservation saved it. In 1997, the United Nations declared it a World Heritage Site.
Cathar roads, Gorge De Galamus, Pyrenees, France, Europe
The Cathar Country is a tourist term used by the department of Aude, which is the department at the center of the country where the lords and the people had converted to Catharism. This term concentrates on Corbières, sits of the majority of royal citadels improperly qualified some of Cathar castles. The promoters of this term tend to impose this tourist slogan instead of words, the more justified historically and culturally (Catharism did not leave a religious legacy in the South, the Southwest and the Southeast of France, because that religion disappeared after 1307, after evangelistic missions undertaken by the Preachers). The people of Occitania and specifically the Languedoc, with Occitan, are mostly from Catholic families who have no roots Cathars, but there is still a few families of the Aude, the Hérault and Gard, who are descendants of these good men and good women.
Cathar Country is a registered trademark in 19911, owned by the General Council of the Aude. The Cathar program wants to value and preserve the wealth of the Aude, federate local initiatives and support the professional organization of Aude producers. From hotels to restaurants through the cottages, rooms and guest tables, wine cellars, shops, gourmet products, lamb, pork, beef, poultry, honey, milk, bread , arts and crafts ... a whole range of products and services certified.
Carcassonne
English subtitles.
Cidadela medieval que fica em Carcassonne. Cidade no sul da França.
Carcassonne By Night (Languedoc-Roussillon - France)
“Carcassonne è una delle più belle città della Francia, situata nella regione della Linguadoca-Rossiglione dipartimento dell'Aude, a sud del Paese, verso il massiccio dei Pirenei. La sua splendida architettura urbana è visibile da chilometri di distanza.
Le prime tracce di insediamento nella regione di Carcassonne, sono state datate al 3500 a.C. Attorno all'800 a.C., la collina di Carsac divenne un importante luogo di scambi commerciali.
Dai tempi dell'antica Roma, quando la città era conosciuta con il nome di Carcasum (dalla collina che la domina, Carsac), conserva la parte principale delle mura, quelle situate a nord. Furono proprio le mura, allora come oggi, a rendere onore a questo luogo: Visigoti, Spagnoli, Crociati, tutti in qualche modo hanno lasciato un segno in quello che è uno dei patrimoni architettonici più importanti del mondo. A costoro vanno affiancati soprattutto i nobili signori di Trencavel, a cui si deve l'edificazione nel XII secolo del castello Château Comtal e della Basilica di Saint-Nazaire.
Carcassonne divenne famosa per il suo ruolo nella Crociata albigese, quando la città era una roccaforte dei Catari francesi. Nell'agosto 1209, l'esercito crociato di Simone di Montfort costrinse i cittadini alla resa. Monfort fece uccidere Trencavel e divenne il nuovo Visconte. Egli ampliò le fortificazioni. Carcassonne divenne una cittadella di frontiera tra Francia e Aragona.
Nel 1659, il Trattato dei Pirenei trasferì la provincia di confine del Rossiglione alla Francia, e l'importanza militare di Carcassonne venne ridotta. Le fortificazioni vennero abbandonate e la città divenne principalmente un centro economico, incentrato sull'industria tessile.
Alla fine la cittadella fortificata di Carcassonne cadde in rovina; a tal punto che il governo francese considerò seriamente la sua demolizione. Un decreto in tal senso venne reso ufficiale nel 1849, ma causò un tumulto. Lo storico Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevielle e lo scrittore Prosper Mérimée, guidarono una campagna per preservare la fortezza come monumento storico. In seguito, nello stesso anno, l'architetto Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc venne incaricato del rinnovamento del luogo.
Nel 1997 è stata dichiarata Patrimonio Mondiale dell'Umanità dall'Unesco.
Sono oltre tre milioni i visitatori che ogni anno si riversano in queste terre di grande storia”
Carcassonne is one of the most beautiful cities in France, located in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon department of Aude, south of the country, towards the Pyrenees massif. Its beautiful urban architecture is visible from kilometers away.
The first traces of settlement in the region of Carcassonne, have been dated to 3500 BC. Around 800 BC, the hill of Carsac became an important place of trade.
From times ancient Rome, when the city was known by the name of Carcasum (from the hill that dominates Carsac), retains the main part of the walls, those located to the north. It was precisely the walls, then as now, to pay tribute to this place: Visigoths, Spanish, Crusaders, all somehow have left a mark in what is one of the world's architectural heritage. To these they must be backed mainly lords Trencavel, to whom we owe the construction of the castle in the twelfth century Château Comtal and the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire.
Carcassonne became famous for his role in the Albigensian Crusade, when the city was a stronghold of French Cathars. In August 1209, the crusading army of Simon de Montfort forced citizens to surrender. Monfort had Trencavels killed and became the new viscount. He added to the fortifications. Carcassonne became a border citadel between France and Aragon.
In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees transferred the border province of Roussillon to France and Carcassonne's military significance was reduced. The fortifications were abandoned and city became mainly an economic center, focused on the textile industry.
Eventually the fortified town of Carcassonne fell into disrepair; so much so that the French government seriously considered its demolition. A decree to this effect was made official in 1849, but caused an uproar. Historian Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevielle and the writer Prosper Merimee, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as historical monument. Later the same year, the architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the renovation of the place.
In 1997 it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
More than three million visitors every year flock to this land of great history.
Rennes- le- Château (Aude -Languedoc-Roussillon- France)
Rennes-le-Château è un villaggio di 87 abitanti situato nel dipartimento dell'Aude nella regione della Linguadoca-Rossiglione, a 45 km a sud di Carcassonne. Un villaggio conosciuto nel mondo intero grazie al suo parroco, l'abate François Béranger Saunière(1852-1917), che ha lasciato nel paese numerose costruzioni ed enigmi. Enigmi che ispirano ancora oggi autori e ricercatori del mondo intero.
Centro delle ricerche è un presunto tesoro che sarebbe nascosto in paese o nei dintorni, presumibilmente ritrovato dal parroco Bérenger Saunière che resse la locale chiesa di Santa Maddalena a cavallo del XIX e XX secolo.
Il nucleo da cui la leggenda ha preso spunto è un fatto documentato sul quale si è a lungo favoleggiato. Durante i lavori di ristrutturazione della parrocchia, infatti, eseguiti tra il 1887 e il 1897, l'abate Saunière si imbatté in una serie di reperti di cui è rimasta una debole traccia documentale e qualche testimonianza da parte di suoi contemporanei. Troppo poco per identificare con certezza la natura degli oggetti ritrovati. Uno dei diari del parroco parla infatti della scoperta di un sepolcro, che potrebbe aver trovato sotto il pavimento della chiesa, trattandosi dell'antico sepolcro dei Signori del paese il cui accesso era stato murato. Testimonianze oculari parlano del ritrovamento di un contenitore di oggetti preziosi, da Saunière sbrigativamente definite medaglie di Lourdes; forse qualche reperto lasciato sul posto da Antoine Bigou, parroco di Rennes durante la Rivoluzione Francese che fu costretto a fuggire in tutta fretta dal paese per rifugiarsi in Spagna; all'interno dell'altare o in una fialetta di vetro Saunière avrebbe trovato delle piccole pergamene, con ogni probabilità - e seguendo una consolidata tradizione cattolica - legate alla cerimonia di consacrazione della Chiesa.
Dopo i restauri della parrocchiale, Saunière spese enormi quantità di denaro per costruire una serie di eleganti costruzioni tra cui una villa (Villa Betania), dei giardini, una balconata panoramica, una torre-biblioteca e una serra per gli animali esotici. Il suo tenore di vita non passò inosservato al vescovo De Beauséjour che, dopo un lungo braccio di ferro per vie legali, sospese Saunière dalle funzioni sacerdotali.
Rennes-le-Château is a village of 87 inhabitants located in the department of Aude in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon, 45 km south of Carcassonne. A village known throughout the world thanks to its parish priest, Abbot François Beranger Sauniere (1852-1917), who left the country several buildings and mysteries. Mysteries that still today inspire authors and researchers of the whole world.
The center of research is a supposed treasure that would be hidden in that country or in the surroundings, supposedly found by the parish priest Berenger Sauniere who ruled the local church of St. Mary Magdalene at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century.
The nucleus from which the legend was inspired is a documented fact on which it has long been fabled. During the renovation of the parish, in fact, carried out between 1887 and 1897, the Abbe Sauniere encountered a series of finds, of which remained a faint trace of documents and testimony from some of his contemporaries. Too little to identify with certainty the nature of the objects found. One of the diaries of the priest speaks of the discovery of a tomb that may have found under the floor of the church, being the ancient tomb of the Lords of the country to which access had been walled up. Eyewitness accounts speak of the discovery of a container of precious objects, from Sauniere summarily called medals of Lourdes; perhaps some findings left behind by Antoine Migou, parish priest of Rennes during the French Revolution, that was forced to flee hastily from the country to take refuge in Spain; inside in the altar or in a glass vial, Sauniere would find small scrolls, probably - and following a well-established Catholic tradition - linked to the ceremony of consecration of the Church.
After the restoration of the parish church, Sauniere had spent huge amounts of money to build a series of elegant buildings including a villa (Villa Bethany), gardens, a panoramic balcony, a tower-library and a greenhouse for exotic animals. His standard of living was not went unnoticed to the bishop De Beauséjour that, after a long standoff to court, suspended Sauniere from priestly functions.
Five Days In Languedoc- Roussillon: Lunch in Narbonne
We took a break from vineyards for lunch in the ancient town of Narbonne, the agreed upon birthplace of French wine culture. Join me as we take a tour of one of the most emmense food markets I have ever seen.
France Travel Skills
Rick Steves European Travel Talk | France travel expert Steve Smith describes scintillating Paris, Normandy's D-Day beaches, Loire châteaux, Dordogne cave art, fortified Carcassonne, Burgundy vineyards, alpine peaks, hill towns of Provence, and the glitzy French Riviera — and teaches skills for traveling in France. Download the PDF handout for this class: goo.gl/lHh0Sd
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Places to see in ( Quillan - France )
Places to see in ( Quillan - France )
Quillan is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, the former commune of Brenac was merged into Quillan.
Quillan is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, on the road between Carcassonne and Perpignan. The River Aude runs through it. At the base of the mountains, swathes of sunflowers and grapes saddle the roads and green fields meet white-capped peaks. The location is thought of as one of the most spectacular in France, which is one of the reasons for the increase in tourism and migration to the area. Peyrepertuse, Montsegur, Puilauren, Queribus, Roquefixade and other ancient Cathar sites are within easy reach. The beaches of the Mediterranean are little more than an hour away. In the other direction, the awe of Carcassonne is 45 minutes drive, while the majesty and sophistication of Toulouse is one and a half hours away. Quillan is a medium-sized town 6 km from Espéraza, neighbouring the commune of Ginoles, and is popular for white water rafting, canoeing, fishing and kayaking on the Aude River and other outdoor activities including cycling, rambling and running.
Historically, Quillan was a significant stopping point on the ancient and winding road between Carcassonne to Perpignan. The River Aude traditionally carried timber and other local products to Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi. The town was particularly noted for hat making, and then later, the production of formica. Times have changed however, and with the construction of the payage joining Carcassonne to Perpignan via Narbonne, the town has moved away from production towards eco-tourism, tourism and outdoor pursuits such as rambling, biking, kayaking, rafting, walking to name a few. The surrounding area is rich in geographical and historical interest including many Cathar castles within striking distance. Quillan now is a centre of travel and tourism in this beautiful region of France.
The town and surrounding villages are largely agricultural, producing milk, grapes, wheat, sunflowers, eggs and meat from poultry and cows. in the last few years, tourism has taken off and during the warmer months many tourists flock to Quillan and its surrounds for the outdoor activities, cultural events and restaurants. There are many BnBs and rentals, some of which are of high quality.
During each August there is a week of the Folklore Festival where dancers, musicians and singers from 10 or 12 different countries perform during the day and evening on the town square of Quillan.
There is a 1 euro bus/train that goes from Quillan to Carcassonne and from Quillan to Perpignan, each day. The railway line from Carcassonne stops in Limoux and Espéraza but some train services have been replaced by buses. Using this service, it's about 50 minutes to Carcassonne and about 1.25 hours to Perpignan. From Perpignan it's an easy short train to Barcelona or up to Narbonne and the TGV lines that depart from the South of France. By car, Quillan is 45 minutes from Carcassonne and one and a half hours from Toulouse.
( Quillan - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Quillan . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Quillan - France
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Paris-Saint-Denis, France -- The Ancient And The New
Saint-Denis has a border contiguous with Paris and has its own rich history. Arguably the capital of France (PAYS DE FRANCE) before Paris, Denys and two other clergy men were martyred around here -- he was the first Bishop of Paris (Lutêce -- I never can remember the Roman name for what is now Saint-Denis). Saint-Denis was the number one place of Christian pilgrimage in all of France for over a thousand years.
Back in the Dark Ages, a wall was build around the city to protect it from barbarians. As the city grew and new barbarians invaded a couple of centuries later, another wall was built farther out. What you can see in this clip are the last vestiges of that wall. Still here. That's a garderobe visible at one point, also.
Saint-Denis was very run-down and a massive urban renewal plan was started in the '70s. Some call it an archeological disaster, as much was inadvertently destroyed to make way for improvements.
The subsidized housing you see here, the white buildings, have a Moorish, North African quality to them, reflecting this integral aspect of French history and heritage, dating back well into the 15th century. Though imperfect in design, they've held up pretty well over the decades and it's generally a peaceful and pleasant place to live in a huge city where over 80 languages are spoken daily.
I'd been to Mass in the basilica of Saint-Denis right nearby -- the world's first Gothic cathedral. My spouse had already been to the famous market, which runs every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning and again, has roots well back into the Middle Ages and before.
Saint-Denis, now often called Paris-Saint-Denis, was on the Paris métro line when I first moved here in '94, but was still quite its own city. As Paris slowly expands (this is controlled, as urban sprawl tends to be disfavored by the French, who prefer keeping city and rural zones as separate as possible) and métros are extended, tramways are built and bike and pedestrian paths are connected, we're really both Dionysian and Parisian, at this point.
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Note: the plane trails to the East are flight paths to and from CDG-Roissy, Le Bourget and Orly airports. To the West, the skies were clear and normal on this day. I missed the weekend tulip festival again this year, but I don't go annually. Ended up going out to the Vexin on this day, to see Villarceaux. Thank you for watching, and your comments and video responses are most welcome. Show us your neighborhood!
France in the Middle Ages | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
France in the Middle Ages
00:02:34 1 Geography
00:06:09 2 Demographics
00:07:24 3 Languages and literacy
00:12:26 4 Society and government
00:12:35 4.1 Peasants
00:15:08 4.2 Cities and towns
00:17:55 4.3 Aristocracy, nobles, knights
00:19:51 4.3.1 Vassalage and feudal land
00:23:34 4.3.2 Peerage
00:26:41 4.4 Monarchy and regional powers
00:30:50 4.4.1 French power in the Middle Ages
00:36:29 4.5 Royal administration
00:36:38 4.5.1 King's Council
00:42:07 4.5.2 Royal finances
00:46:37 4.5.3 Parlements
00:47:47 4.5.4 Estates General
00:50:18 4.5.5 Prévôts, baillages
00:53:30 5 Political history
00:53:39 5.1 Carolingian legacy
00:55:29 5.2 The First Capetians (940–1108)
00:59:45 5.3 Louis VI and Louis VII (1108–1180)
01:03:39 5.4 Philip II Augustus (1180–1223)
01:06:42 5.5 Saint Louis (1226–1270)
01:10:53 5.6 Philip III and Philip IV (1270–1314)
01:17:49 5.7 Louis X and Philip V (1314–1322)
01:21:09 5.8 The Hundred Years' War (1328–1453)
01:25:43 5.9 List of kings during this period
01:27:34 6 Religion and the Church
01:27:47 6.1 Jewish-Christian Relations in France
01:29:55 7 Economy and technology
01:30:43 8 Culture and art
01:30:52 8.1 Literature
01:31:26 8.2 Art
01:31:38 9 Notes
01:31:47 10 Bibliography
01:31:56 10.1 Early Middle Ages
01:32:36 10.2 High Middle Ages
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Kingdom of France in the Middle Ages (roughly, from the 9th century to the middle of the 15th century) was marked by the fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and West Francia (843–987); the expansion of royal control by the House of Capet (987–1328), including their struggles with the virtually independent principalities (duchies and counties, such as the Norman and Angevin regions) that had developed following the Viking invasions and through the piecemeal dismantling of the Carolingian Empire and the creation and extension of administrative/state control (notably under Philip II Augustus and Louis IX) in the 13th century; and the rise of the House of Valois (1328–1589), including the protracted dynastic crisis of the Hundred Years' War with the Kingdom of England (1337–1453) compounded by the catastrophic Black Death epidemic (1348), which laid the seeds for a more centralized and expanded state in the early modern period and the creation of a sense of French identity.
Up to the 12th century, the period saw the elaboration and extension of the seigneurial economic system (including the attachment of peasants to the land through serfdom); the extension of the feudal system of political rights and obligations between lords and vassals; the so-called feudal revolution of the 11th century during which ever smaller lords took control of local lands in many regions; and the appropriation by regional/local seigneurs of various administrative, fiscal and judicial rights for themselves. From the 13th century on, the state slowly regained control of a number of these lost powers. The crises of the 13th and 14th centuries led to the convening of an advisory assembly, the Estates General, and also to an effective end to serfdom.
From the 12th and 13th centuries on, France was at the center (and often originator) of a vibrant cultural production that extended across much of western Europe, including the transition from Romanesque architecture to Gothic architecture (originating in 12th-century France) and Gothic art; the foundation of medieval universities (such as the universities of Paris (recognized in 1150), Montpellier (1220), Toulouse (1229), and Orleans (1235)) and the so-called Renaissance of the 12th century; a growing body of secular vernacular literature (including the chanson de geste, chivalric romance, troubadour and trouvère poetry, etc.) and medieval music (such as the flowering of the Notre Dame school of polyphony from around 1150 to 1250 which represents the beginning of what is conventionally known as Ars antiqua).
4. Rennes Le Chateau, France
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France | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
France
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
France (French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française; French pronunciation: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million (as of October 2018). France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.
During the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476, who formed the Kingdom of France. France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages following its victory in the Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453). During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established, which by the 20th century would become the second largest in the world. The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). France became Europe's dominant cultural, political, and military power in the 17th century under Louis XIV. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy, established one of modern history's earliest republics, and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day.
In the 19th century, Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire. His subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. France was a major participant in World War I, from which it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allies in World War II, but came under occupation by the Axis powers in 1940. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains today. Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France.
France has long been a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually. France is a developed country with the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, and tenth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of aggregate household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, and human development. France is considered a great power in global affairs, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone, and a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and La Francophonie.
Catharism | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:03:30 1 Origins
00:08:02 2 General beliefs
00:08:12 2.1 Theology
00:12:47 2.2 Sacraments
00:15:39 2.3 Social relationships
00:17:12 2.4 Organization
00:18:36 2.5 Role of women and gender
00:22:56 3 Suppression
00:25:58 3.1 Albigensian Crusade
00:31:37 3.2 Massacre
00:34:38 3.3 Treaty and persecution
00:39:05 3.4 Annihilation
00:40:47 4 Later history
00:41:36 4.1 iPays Cathare/i
00:43:05 5 Interrogation of heretics
00:43:51 6 Historical scholarship
00:45:51 7 In art and music
00:47:07 8 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
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I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Catharism (; from the Greek: καθαροί, katharoi, the pure [ones]) was a Christian dualist or Gnostic revival movement that thrived in some areas of Southern Europe, particularly what is now northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. The followers were known as Cathars and are now mainly remembered for a prolonged period of persecution by the Catholic Church, which did not recognise their belief as being Christian. Catharism appeared in Europe in the Languedoc region of France in the 11th century and this is when the name first appears. The adherents were sometimes known as Albigensians, after the city Albi in southern France where the movement first took hold. The belief system may have originated in Persia or the Byzantine Empire. Catharism was initially taught by ascetic leaders who set few guidelines, and, thus, some Catharist practices and beliefs varied by region and over time. The Catholic Church denounced its practices including the Consolamentum ritual, by which Cathar individuals were baptized and raised to the status of perfect.Catharism may have had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and eastern Byzantine Anatolia and certainly in the Bogomils of the First Bulgarian Empire, who were influenced by the Paulicians resettled in Thrace (Philipopolis) by the Byzantines. Though the term Cathar () has been used for centuries to identify the movement, whether the movement identified itself with this name is debated. In Cathar texts, the terms Good Men (Bons Hommes), Good Women (Bonnes Femmes), or Good Christians (Bons Chrétiens) are the common terms of self-identification.The idea of two gods or principles, one good and the other evil, was central to Cathar beliefs. This was antithetical to the monotheistic Catholic Church, whose fundamental principle was that there was only one God, who created all things visible and invisible. Cathars believed that the good God was the God of the New Testament and the creator of the spiritual realm. They believed the evil God was the God of the Old Testament, creator of the physical world whom many Cathars, and particularly their persecutors, identified as Satan. Cathars thought human spirits were the genderless spirits of angels trapped in the material realm of the evil god, destined to be reincarnated until they achieved salvation through the consolamentum, when they could return to the benign God.From the beginning of his reign, Pope Innocent III attempted to end Catharism by sending missionaries and by persuading the local authorities to act against them. In 1208, Innocent's papal legate Pierre de Castelnau was murdered while returning to Rome after excommunicating Count Raymond VI of Toulouse, who, in his view, was too lenient with the Cathars. Pope Innocent III then abandoned the option of sending Catholic missionaries and jurists, declared Pierre de Castelnau a martyr and launched the Albigensian Crusade which all but ended Catharism.
Catharism | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Catharism
00:03:06 1 Origins
00:06:46 2 General beliefs
00:07:24 2.1 Sacraments
00:09:31 2.2 Theology
00:10:56 2.3 Social relationships
00:11:54 2.4 Organization
00:13:02 2.5 Role of women and gender
00:16:36 3 Suppression
00:19:02 3.1 Albigensian Crusade
00:23:41 3.2 Massacre
00:26:07 3.3 Treaty and persecution
00:29:43 3.4 Annihilation
00:31:05 4 Later history
00:31:44 4.1 iPays Cathare/i
00:32:57 5 Interrogation of heretics
00:33:36 6 Historical scholarship
00:35:15 7 In art and music
00:36:12 8 In popular culture
00:37:14 9 See also
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Catharism (; from the Greek: καθαροί, katharoi, the pure [ones]) was a Christian dualist or Gnostic revival movement that thrived in some areas of Southern Europe, particularly what is now northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. The followers were known as Cathars and are now mainly remembered for a prolonged period of persecution by the Catholic Church, which did not recognise their belief as being Christian. Catharism appeared in Europe in the Languedoc region of France in the 11th century and this is when the name first appears. The adherents were sometimes known as Albigensians, after the city Albi in southern France where the movement first took hold. The beliefs are believed to have been brought from Persia or the Byzantine Empire.
Cathar beliefs varied between communities because Catharism was initially taught by ascetic leaders who set few guidelines. The Catholic Church denounced its practices including the Consolamentum ritual, by which Cathar individuals were baptized and raised to the status of perfect.Catharism may have had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and eastern Byzantine Anatolia and certainly in the Bogomils of the First Bulgarian Empire, who were influenced by the Paulicians resettled in Thrace (Philipopolis) by the Byzantines. Though the term Cathar () has been used for centuries to identify the movement, whether the movement identified itself with this name is debated. In Cathar texts, the terms Good Men (Bons Hommes), Good Women (Bonnes Femmes), or Good Christians (Bons Chrétiens) are the common terms of self-identification.The idea of two gods or principles, one good and the other evil, was central to Cathar beliefs. This was antithetical to the monotheistic Catholic Church, whose fundamental principle was that there was only one God, who created all things visible and invisible. Cathars believed that the good God was the God of the New Testament and the creator of the spiritual realm, contrasted with the evil Old Testament God, creator of the physical world whom many Cathars, and particularly their persecutors, identified as Satan. All visible matter, including the human body, was created by this evil god; matter was therefore tainted with sin. According to the 13th century chronicler Pierre des Vaux-de-Cernay, Cathars believed that Jesus could not have been the messiah because he took the form of a man. Cathars thought human spirits were the genderless spirits of angels who were forced to spend an eternity trapped in the material realm of the evil god, destined to be reincarnated until they achieved salvation through the consolamentum, when they could ascend to heaven where the benign God lived and the true messiah was martyred.
From the beginning of his reign, Pope Innocent III attempted to end Catharism by sending missionaries and by persuading the local authorities to act against them. In 1208, Innocent's papal legate Pierre de Castelnau was murdered while returning to Rome after excommunicating Count Raymond VI of Toulouse, who, in his view, was too lenient with the Cathars. Pope Innocent III then abandoned the option of sending Catholic missionaries and jurists, declared Pierre de Castelnau a martyr and launched the Albigensian Crusade which all but ended Catharism.
Catharism | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Catharism
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Catharism (; from the Greek: καθαροί, katharoi, the pure [ones]) was a Christian dualist or Gnostic revival movement that thrived in some areas of Southern Europe, particularly what is now northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. The followers were known as Cathars and are now mainly remembered for a prolonged period of persecution by the Catholic Church, which did not recognise their belief as being Christian. Catharism appeared in Europe in the Languedoc region of France in the 11th century and this is when the name first appears. The adherents were sometimes known as Albigensians, after the city Albi in southern France where the movement first took hold. The beliefs are believed to have been brought from Persia or the Byzantine Empire.
Cathar beliefs varied between communities because Catharism was initially taught by ascetic leaders who set few guidelines. The Catholic Church denounced its practices including the Consolamentum ritual, by which Cathar individuals were baptized and raised to the status of perfect.Catharism may have had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and eastern Byzantine Anatolia and certainly in the Bogomils of the First Bulgarian Empire, who were influenced by the Paulicians resettled in Thrace (Philipopolis) by the Byzantines. Though the term Cathar () has been used for centuries to identify the movement, whether the movement identified itself with this name is debated. In Cathar texts, the terms Good Men (Bons Hommes), Good Women (Bonnes Femmes), or Good Christians (Bons Chrétiens) are the common terms of self-identification.The idea of two gods or principles, one good and the other evil, was central to Cathar beliefs. The good God was the God of the New Testament and the creator of the spiritual realm, contrasted with the evil Old Testament God, creator of the physical world whom many Cathars, and particularly their persecutors, identified as Satan. All visible matter, including the human body, was created by this evil god; matter was therefore tainted with sin. This was antithetical to the monotheistic Catholic Church, whose fundamental principle was that there was only one God, who created all things visible and invisible. Cathars thought human spirits were the genderless spirits of angels trapped within the physical creation of the evil god, destined to be reincarnated until they achieved salvation through the consolamentum.From the beginning of his reign, Pope Innocent III attempted to end Catharism by sending missionaries and by persuading the local authorities to act against them. In 1208, Innocent's papal legate Pierre de Castelnau was murdered while returning to Rome after excommunicating Count Raymond VI of Toulouse, who, in his view, was too lenient with the Cathars. Pope Innocent III then abandoned the option of sending Catholic missionaries and jurists, declared Pierre de Castelnau a martyr and launched the Albigensian Crusade which all but ended Catharism.
France | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
France
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
France (French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française; French pronunciation: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million (as of October 2018). France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.
During the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476, who formed the Kingdom of France. France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages following its victory in the Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453). During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established, which by the 20th century would become the second largest in the world. The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). France became Europe's dominant cultural, political, and military power in the 17th century under Louis XIV. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy, established one of modern history's earliest republics, and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day.
In the 19th century, Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire. His subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. France was a major participant in World War I, from which it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allies in World War II, but came under occupation by the Axis powers in 1940. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains today. Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France.
France has long been a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually. France is a developed country with the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, and tenth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of aggregate household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, and human development. France is considered a great power in global affairs, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone, and a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Wo ...
France
France
Come with us and visit in the southern part of the country, Languedoc and Roussillion.
We start our tour in Montpellier, and we stroll through the cities on the Mediterranean coast and visit, the magnificent cathedrals of Beziers and Narbonne, Sette with its picturesque canals, Carcassonne, the best preserved medieval city of Europe, the Cathar castles from Les Corbiers region, testimony of a successful but short lived civilization of Pays d'Occitane. Here we will talk about the the 13th century Albigense crusade of the Papality against these citadels that brought the demise of the Cathars rule and religion and brought the establishment of the Inquisition that will loom for hundreds of years over Western Europe. Latter we will go to Collioure, a very picturesque city on the Mediterranean coast that hosted several famous fauvist painters including Matisse and Derain, the reproduction of their paintings being hanged in the places where they painted them.
We continue to Roussillion, the French Catalonia, and visit its beautiful monasteries of Serabonne, St. Michael de Cuxa and St. Martin de Canigou stopping also at several fortified cities on the way. We cross the Pyrinees in Andorra, a independent principality, and we go further to visit Lourdes, the most important pilgrimage place for the Catholics of Europe. From there we continue to go west, and visit Pau, the birthplace of Henry de Navarre, Biarittz, the in resort for the aristocracy at the end of the 19th century, the Basque city of St. Jean de Luz and return all the way to spend several days on the Mediterranean coast at Grande Motte, a futuristic resort built in the 70s. From here we will do short incursions to Nimes, to visit its famous Roman amphitheater and to Aigues Morte, a city surrounded by fortified walls.