Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All France Villerouge-Termenès Cathar Castles

Cathar Castles

The site of the first medieval crusade that pitted Christians against Christians.

Villerouge-Termenès, France

Added By
Chuck Kennedy
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Château de Villerouge-Termenès   Martpan/cc by-sa 3.0
Château de Villerouge-Termenès   Martpan/cc by-sa 3.0
Château de Villerouge-Termenès   Pinpin/cc by 2.5
Château de Montségur.   MDanis/cc by-sa 3.0
Château de Montségur.   Andy Hay/cc by 2.0
The Cathar castle of Montségur.   rancesca sara/cc by 2.0
Carcassonne.   Ad Meskens/cc by-sa 3.0
Carcassonne.   Laura Fanucchi/cc by-sa 3.0
Fortress of Carcassonne.   crookoo/public domain
Fontfroide Abbey.   Eduardo Miranda/cc by-sa 4.0
Fontfroide Abbey.   Binche/cc by-sa 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Back in the 13th and 14th centuries, the South of France was a center of Catharism, a sect of Christianity described as “the most successful heresy in history.” The region of Languedoc—which was under the control of the Kings of Spanish Aragon at the time—is also known as Cathar Country. “Pays Cathare” signs dot the countryside, and you cannot drive far in any direction without coming upon the ruins of a Cathar fortress.

The first battle of the crusade against the Cathars occurred in Beziers, close to the Spanish border. Arnaud Amaury, a Cistercian abbot designated to lead the crusade, had arranged his soldiers outside of the city walls to lay siege to the town. The men of Beziers were confident that their fortifications were secure. Harsh words were exchanged between the men on the walls and the crusaders. Suddenly the gates to the city opened, and a large band of Bezierians poured forth to do battle. Amaury’s forces made quick work of them. They then turned and discovered the Bezierians’ big mistake: they had left the gates open.

Amaury immediately told his army to charge. One of his men asked: “How will we know which are Cathars?” Amaury replied with his famous quote: “Kill them all! God will recognize his own.” The crusaders proceeded to slaughter around 7,000 citizens, including women and children, even those who had sought sanctuary in the Catholic church. This horrific incident was not only the first of many in the battle to stomp out Catharism, but also the first crusade to occur on European soil. Most importantly, it was the first crusade that pitted Christians against Christians.

Catharism was a dualist religion. They believed that God created Heaven, the Kingdom of Light where no evil exists. Whereas the material world, where evil prospers, was created by Satan. Man's purpose is to free their soul from this “prison of flesh” and reunite it with the mind in the presence of God. This can only happen if the soul attains knowledge, only attained through baptism—not by water, but by “fire and spirit,” as Christ gave to his apostles. Failing this, when the body dies, the soul will pass to another body. This cycle will continue until salvation is attained. In other words, you stay in this cycle until you finally get it right.

The Cathars believed themselves to be “Good Christians,” or "Bon Hommes." Their priests, both men and women, were called “Parfaits,” or “Perfects,” as in “perfect Christians." Cathars did not believe in the church hierarchy of archbishops, cardinals and the Pope. They considered the church decadent; this was during a time when the Catholic church was a bit scandalous, and the clergy accustomed to living large. The Parfaits also did not ask the believers for monetary offerings, which had to be a huge selling point.

The simple, trapping-free religion appealed to many, and Catharism grew in popularity. In 1198, Pope Innocent III decided that something must be done. He sent two legates to the Languedoc region, both monks from the Abbey of Fontfroide. But their attempts to convince people to abandon Catharism in favor of Catholicism were unsuccessful. The Pope proceeded to enlist the Abbot Arnaud-Amaury to raise a company of Crusaders. And so, the crusaders won their first victory at Beziers in July of 1209. Then the "ost," as the army of Crusaders was called, proceeded to Carcassonne, a well-known Cathar haven.

The castle at Carcassonne is world famous. It has been used as a model for many King Arthur-type fables, such as Camelot. It has all the accouterments necessary for a castle cum fortress: moat, drawbridge, portcullis, turrets, two concentric ramparts—one inside the other. At that time Carcassonne was located on the border with Spain, so the fortress had strategic military importance. At any rate, Carcassonne had never been defeated, until now. The crusaders occupied the town, and then set their sights on Minerve.

Minerve was difficult to besiege, but the army used the tried-and-true tactic of capturing the town's water supply. The siege lasted five weeks before the lord of Minerve gave up in order to save the townspeople, who were dying of thirst. Cathars were asked to recant their faith. About 140 of them refused, and were burned to death in the flames of a pyre. Later, at the request of the Pope, the crusading army launched an attack on Toulouse, whose count was not taking sufficient action against the Cathars. The city was saved with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

Beginning around 1224 the Crusade was stuttering. Thus began a long period of diplomatic maneuvering. A new monastic order, the Dominicans, were empowered to interrogate suspected Cathars using a variety of techniques, including torture. They were responsible for the deaths, usually by burning, of thousands of “alleged” heretics. 

The Languedoc area is rugged, mountainous, tree-covered, ridden with caves. It offers countless places to hide, and many of the Cathars took refuge in the countryside. One fortress where many of them gathered was Montsegur. Located high atop a rocky spire in the foothills of the Pyrenees, it was virtually impregnable. This was the site of a long and bloody siege that would mark the beginning of the end for the Cathars.

After months of fighting, the surviving Cathars were told to denounce their faith and go free or were burnt at the stake. Hundreds bravely threw themselves onto the pyre. After the fall of Montsegur, the last Cathar stronghold, the pursuit of the remaining Cathars continued by the Crusaders and the Inquisition. The last known Parfait was captured and put to death at the stake in Villerouge Termenès in 1321.

Related Tags

Castles Christianity Crusades Religion Medieval History Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The map coordinates and address given are for the Château de Villerouge-Termenès (Castle of Villerouge-Termenès), where the last known Cathar Parfait was put to death. There are many other sites to visit within Cathar Country, such as the aforementioned fortress of Carcassonne, Fontfroide Abbey, and the ruins of Château de Montségur (Montségur Castle), perhaps the most well-known Cathar castle. This is a large area and would take four or five days to visit. The beautiful town of Narbonne would be an excellent base.

Community Contributors

Added By

chuckanzie

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

October 5, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Auè, Michèle, “Cathar Country”, MSM, 1992. Auè, Michéle, “The Cathars”, MSM. Bély, Lucien, “Discovering the Cathars”, Editions Sud Ouest, 2006. Serris, George, “The Land of the Cathars”, Editions Loubatiéres.
  • travelswithanzie.com
  • http://www.catharcastles.info/villerouge.php
Cathar Castles
Rue du Couvent
Villerouge-Termenès
France
43.007173, 2.626868
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Tomb of Henry Bataille

Moux, France

miles away

Bugarach

Bugarach, France

miles away

Roman Baths

Rennes-les-Bains, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 692
Stories 72

Nearby Places

Tomb of Henry Bataille

Moux, France

miles away

Bugarach

Bugarach, France

miles away

Roman Baths

Rennes-les-Bains, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 692
Stories 72

Related Places

  • The Preceptory Tower at Temple Bruer.

    Lincoln, England

    Temple Bruer

    This lone tower casts an outstretched shadow over the site of a once-wealthy Knights Templar preceptory.

  • The ruins of Craswall Priory.

    Craswall, England

    Craswall Priory

    Britain’s highest medieval monastery is a remote ruin nestled at the head of a valley 1,240 feet above the sea.

  • Saltwood Castle.

    Kent, England

    Saltwood Castle

    This Norman castle has been the scene of assassination plots, religious persecution, and Nazi conspiracies throughout its long history.

  • The Gothic church towers above the Old Town.

    Brașov, Romania

    Biserica Neagră (The Black Church)

    A fire once nearly devoured this gorgeous 14th-century Gothic cathedral.

  • Alamut Castle.

    Roudbar Alamout, Iran

    Alamut Castle

    This ruined fortress was the stronghold for a persecuted medieval leader and his infamous Assassins.

  • The medieval Church of Saint Nicholas.

    Ireland

    The Lost Town of Newtown Jerpoint (Jerpoint Park)

    Local legend says the remains of Father Christmas lie within the medieval grounds.

  • The apocalypse scene in the central apse

    Anagni, Italy

    Cripta di San Magno

    The “Sistine Chapel” of the Middle Ages merges 11th-century science and religion in wondrous hues.

  • Overview / sea view

    Greece

    Castle of Agia Mavra (Santa Maura)

    A seaside castle complex that stood through centuries of conquests.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.