Languedoc, Sud de France: Of Wine and HistoryART AND ENTERTAIN ME

By Emma Krasov, photography by Emma Krasov

Le Pays Cathare

The central part of Languedoc is defined as much by its Roman and medieval towns as by its Carignan, Syrah and Grenache grapes and Corbières AOC wines.

Languedoc, which literally means “the language of Oc” and refers to Occitan language formerly used in the South of France, derives its historical identity from Celtic and Iberian tribes, Greek, Phoenician, Etruscan and Roman settlers; Alemanni, Vandal, Visigoth and Saracen invaders; Jewish religious scholars and Cathar religious rebels. The entire region is a rich mosaic of cultural tidbits and architectural monuments from the long gone eras.

In Languedoc, the birthplace of the 12^th century religious movement of Catharism, a blue-and-white sign “Le Pays Cathare” is often seen on medieval walls. These walls witnessed the rise and spread of Catharist ideas, the Albigesian Crusade against the Cathars, who were proclaimed heretics by the Roman Catholic Church, and the subsequent inquisition that wiped them out.

Narbonne – visions of paradise

The city of Narbonne – the first Roman settlement in France then called Colonia Narbo Martius – was founded in 118 BCE as a port on Aude River. The first Roman road that connected Italy and Spain across southern France, Via Domitia, was built at the same time and gave even more importance to the new colony. A paved fragment of the ancient road can be seen today at the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville right in the city center by the Town Hall, which used to be the Archbishop’s Palace before the French Revolution.

A Gothic church of Notre-Dame-de-Lamourguier, a 13^th century Benedictine monastery, shut down during the Revolution, is now the Lapidary Museum, where exquisitely carved Roman gravestones are stacked in impressive quantities.

In the Middle Ages, Roman stone blocks were used in the construction of La Cathédrale Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur, which was never completed, but in the Gothic church tradition conveyed a vision of paradise to its worshippers through the immense beauty of its architecture.

A foodie paradise is found at Narbonne’s farmers’ market, just over a century-old, opened at the time when wine industry in the area became prevalent over wheat, sheep, and olives. At the year-round market, dozens of merchants’ stalls overflow with catch-of-the-day, prime cuts of meat, fresh vegetables, colorful fruit displays, artisanal sausages, breads and pastries, pickled olives, fresh berries, and gourmet confections.

After a tour of Narbonne with the wonderful local guide Christophe Cabrier, our group of wine enthusiasts headed for a memorable lunch at yet another historic monument – Abbaye de Fontfroide.

Founded by the Benedictine monks in 1093, and comprised of local sandstone from the surrounding hills, the multi-building structure encompasses several architectural styles – Romanesque, Gothic, and Classic, and even boasts some recycled Corinthian columns from antiquity with elaborate finials which support its massive stone arches.

The abbey became Cistercian by 1145, and in the next century was tied to the Cathar movement and the war against it.

Shut down by the Revolution, then periodically occupied and finally abandoned by the monks, the abbey was saved from decline by Gustave and Madeleine Fayet, who acquired the place in 1908, restored it, and turned into a cultural center.

One of the best preserved Cistercian abbeys in the world, this privately owned monument, named after a cold spring that runs nearby, Abbaye de Fontfroide is a bucolic retreat in the foothills of the Corbières. Some of the most important features of the abbey today are its enormous rose garden, its wine production that continues here since the time when the monks were making wine for the mass, and its excellent restaurant, La Table de Fontfroide.

Our gourmet lunch at the abbey included Corbières AOC wine and hoppy 6.5%-alcohol beer produced on site; vegetable mille-feuilles with whipped goat cheese; filet of duck breast with berry preserve, and a dessert of ice-cream with Grand Marnier.

Carcassonne – history, wine, food, and water

A small Gallo-Roman town in the 1^st century BCE, Carcassonne, located on a hilltop overlooking Aude valley, became a fortress by the 11^th century, and remains the largest medieval walled town in Europe and a tourist attraction visited by about three million people a year.

The history of Carcassonne is literally written on its walls. Typical Roman masonry is defined by neatly spaced arches and large windows for easy spear-throwing.

When crossbow became a weapon of choice in times of Visigothic invasion, narrow vertical slits, or arrow loops, fit for an archer, punctured the stone in chessboard pattern.

A stronghold of Cathars, Carcassonne was besieged during the Albigensian Crusade, and surrendered in 1209. In 1226, it was annexed to the domain of the King of France, at which time the outer walls of the fortress were built.

Meticulously restored and preserved by the 19^th century architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, Carcassonne is now a UNESCO world heritage site, and a fascinating maze of stone passageways, galleries, and watchtowers set against the snow-covered mountain tops of the Pyrenees.

Stained glass windows of Basilique Saint-Nazaire-et-Saint-Celse de Carcassonne, some dating back to the 14^th century, are considered the most beautiful of their kind in the South of France.

Other important attractions of the walled city are its wine and food.

Comptoir des Vins et Terroirs Vinoteque-Bar a Vin in the heart of Carcassonne carries several well-known wines produced in Languedoc, and presents the diversity of the local viticulture at group-catered wine-tasting events.

Our tasting adventure with an experienced guide Stephanie Delmotte started with a closer look at the map of the largest wine-producing region in the world that occupies different kinds of soil, from arid and rocky to clay and sandy, and experiences all kinds of weather from high-altitude dry days with chilly nights to balmy and humid in the valleys.

Thanks to the variety of microclimates and wine-producing techniques, the same kinds of grapes yield very different wines from Vignobles du Languedoc. More than 150 regional wines can be found at the Vinoteque, where new vintages arrive every year.

At lunch at a busy and friendly Brasserie le Donjon, also located in the center of the walled city, I had to order cassoulet de Languedoc – the main dish of the region – once again. Served in a sizzling clay skillet, in which it was baked, the white bean, pork, sausage, and duck confit stew with attractively burnt edges was probably too much for a sultry summer day, but too good to resist.

To continue our research of Les vins de l'Aude, our group indulged in a bottle of sweet and golden-hued Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois for dessert.

An afternoon boat ride over the green waters of Canal du Midi seemed like a great idea for two reasons – it was fun and the air was cooler by the water.

We embarked on an eight-kilometer cruise of the tree-lined section of the 240-kilometer-long Canal connecting the Atlantic with the Mediterranean.

Built by Pierre-Paul Riquet, who poured his entire life and fortune into the project, this majestic waterway is considered to be one of the biggest engineering achievements of the 17^th century.

It is now a leisurely holiday route for vacationers from all over the world, houseboat owners, and several short daily cruises, like ours, that showcase bridges, tunnels, some of the 63 locks, and an unparalleled view of Carcassonne.