Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is actually modeled after a 16th-century original of the town's legendary first lady (for her
• Cross the bridge toward the...
Narbonne Gate:
Pause at the drawbridge and survey this immense fortification.
When forces from northern France finally conquered Carcassonne, it was a strategic prize.
Not taking any chances, they evicted the residents, whom they allowed to settle in the
lower town (Ville Basse)—as long as they stayed across the river. (Though it's called
“new,” this lower town actually dates from the 13th century.) La Cité remained a French
military garrison until the 18th century.
The drawbridge was made crooked to slow attackers' rush to the main gate and has a
similar effect on tourists today.
• After crossing the drawbridge, lose the crowds and walk left between the walls. At the
first short set of stairs, climb to the outer-wall walkway and linger while facing the inner
walls.
Wall View:
The Romans built Carcassonne'sfirst wall, uponwhich the bigger medi-
eval wall was constructed. Identify the ancient Roman bits by looking about one-third of
the way up and finding the smaller rocks mixed with narrow stripes of red bricks (and no
arrow slits). The outer wall that you're on was not built until the 1300s, more than a thou-
sand years after the Roman walls went up. The massive walls you see today—nearly two
miles around, with 52 towers—defended an important site near the intersection of north-
south and east-west trade routes.
Look over the wall and down at the moat below (now mostly used for parking).
Like most medieval moats, it was never filled with water (or even alligators). A ditch like
this—whichwasoriginallyevendeeper—effectivelystoppedattackingforcesfromrolling
up against the wall in their mobile towers and spilling into the city. Another enemy tac-
tic was to “undermine” (tunnel underneath) the wall, causing a section to cave in. Notice
the small, square holes at foot level along the ramparts. Wooden extensions of the rampart
walkways(whichwe'llseelater,atthecastle)oncepluggedintotheseholessothattowns-
folkcoulddropnasty,stickythingsonanyonetunnelingin.Inpeacetimethisareabetween
the two walls
(les lices)
was used for medieval tournaments, jousting practice, and mar-
kets.
