Museum panels: the history of Languedoc
The Celts.
The earliest recorded inhabitants of the Languedoc were Celtic. Several stone monuments in the area are thought to be French versions of the Stonehenge. Very little is known about this period.
The Romans.
The Romans called this area 'Gaul'. They had many rich silver and gold mines here, sustained by slave labor. Gaul was a favourite spot for exiling people. Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas were both exiled here by Rome.
The Visigoths
conquered Rome, raiding the city of Rome itself in 410. They ended their nomadic existence by settling in this area with their vast stores of plundered wealth. Nearby Toulouse was their capital.
The Merovingian dynasty (461-962 A.D.)
was a line of 'mystical priest-kings' with long hair that ruled the German Franks. Clovis I in 507, defeated Alaric II of the Visigoths in battle. Clovis I made a pact with the Roman pope to consolidate the position of each.
In 671, Merovingian king Dagobert II married Giselle de Razes, niece of the Visigothic king. Her hometown, Rennes-le-Château (then called Rhedae), became the Merovingian stronghold. The two had a son, Sigisbert IV.
On December 23, 679 Dagobert II was murdered by a servant under directions from the King's treacherous Mayor of the Palace, Pepin the Fat. His three-year-old son, Sigisbert IV, disappeared and the kingship passed to a weaker branch of the family tree. The Pope endorsed this murder.
The Carolingians.
The family line of Pepin the Fat gradually took over rulership. In 754, Pepin III, by the pronouncement of the Pope, officially became King of the Franks. His dynasty included Charlemagne. The Carolingians rule ended in 987 with the new dinasty of the Capetians.
Septimania.
From the Spanish Pyrenees up through Toulouse and Narbonne there was a strong Jewish contingent. In 759, Pepin III, in exchange for acknowledgements from the Jewish leaders, made Septimania an indipendent kingship. The Jewish Septimanians chose as their king Theodoric, descendent of Sigisbert IV. Theodoric's descendents include Guillem de Gellone and Godfroi de Bouillon, Duke of Lorraine and conqueror of Jerusalem during the crusades.
The Cathars.
Perhaps as an outgrowth of the region's historical independence, in the late 12th century the Languedoc became the hotbed for a group called the Cathars. the Cathars were nominally Christians, but their theology was considered heretical by the Catholic Church. The pope arranged the Albigensian Crusade in 1207 in which the Cathars were slaughtered -- men, women, and children. The region never fully recovered.
Knights Templar.
Although the Templars were inaugurated in Jerusalem in 1118, several of the key founders came from the Languedoc, including Hugues de Payne, count of Champagne. The Temple continued its association with the region, establishing several bases here. Many high-ranking Templars came from Cathar families, including Bertrand de Blanchefort, fourth Templar grand master. The Knights Temlar were eventually accused of heresy. A general arrest occurred in 1307. The group was disbanded and all that resisted were burnt at the stake.
Last update: October 24, 2007
Delicious 
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
StumbleUpon