Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Aude

One Enchanted Evening in Carcassonne

It was a cool evening in mid-April when I first laid eyes on La Cité, the fortified medieval village of Carcassonne. I was on the Pont Vieux with a few other souls enjoying the view of the illuminated citadel. Looking up at its outline against the darkening sky was like stepping into a fairy tale. The new bridge and its reflection on the Aude river added a romantic ambiance to the crisp night air. Daylight gave La Cité a different presence. Stone cold walls and watchtowers rise above the Aude whose banks were wrapped in green and early spring blooms. La Cité has a double set of fortifications. The inner walls were built during the Gallo Roman era and the outer walls which can be seen from the image above, were constructed during the reign of Louis IX in the 13th century. La Cité was in decay in the 19th century prompting the  French government to order its demolition. The outcry from the residents brought about the extensive renovations made by the architect, E