Carcassonne is a French fortified city in the Aude department, which is part of the Occitania region. It serves as the capital of the Aude department.

People have lived in Carcassonne since the Neolithic Period. The city is located in the Aude plain, where historic trade routes connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and the Massif Central to the Pyrénées mountains. Its valuable position was recognized by the Romans, who controlled the hilltop area until the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In the fifth century, the Visigoths took over the region of Septimania and established the city of Carcassonne as part of their new kingdom.

The citadel, called the Cité de Carcassonne, is a medieval fortress that dates back to the Gallo-Roman period. It was restored by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc between 1853 and 1879. In 1997, the Cité de Carcassonne was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites because of its well-preserved and carefully restored medieval structures. Today, tourism is a major part of Carcassonne’s economy, along with manufacturing and winemaking.

Geography

Carcassonne is located in the south of France, approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Toulouse. Its position between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea has been important since the Neolithic era. The town covers an area of about 65 square kilometres (25 square miles), which is much larger than the many small towns in the Aude department. The rivers Aude, Fresquel, and the Canal du Midi flow through the town.

History

The first signs of people living in this area date back to about 3500 BC. However, the hill site of Carsac—a name from the Celtic language that was also used at other places in the south—became an important trading center around the sixth century BC. The Volcae Tectosages, a group of people, built walls around it and turned it into an oppidum, which is a type of hill fort. This is when the place was called "Carsac."

The name "Carsac" has a story tied to it, but this story is not based on real events. It includes a tale about a woman named Lady Carcas, a trick used to end a siege, and the sound of bells ("Carcas sona"). This story is shown in a sculpture of Mme. Carcas near the Narbonne Gate, but the sculpture was created in the 16th century. The name "Carsac" may also come from a longer version of the name "Carcas."

Carcassonne became important when the Romans built walls around a hill around 100 BC. They later made it a Roman town called Julia Carsaco, which later became Carcaso and then Carcasum. This change in the name involved swapping the order of letters, a process called metathesis. The lower parts of the northern walls were built during the time when the Romans and local people lived together. In AD 462, the Romans gave control of Septimania to Theodoric II, a Visigothic king, who had already taken control of Carcassonne in AD 453.

Theodoric is believed to have started the construction of a church that is now called Saint Nazaire. In AD 508, the Visigoths successfully defended Carcassonne from attacks by the Frankish king Clovis I. Later, in AD 719, Arab and Berber Muslim forces invaded Septimania and took control of the region. They ruled until AD 720, when the Franks, Christian forces from France, defeated them and drove them out. After 40 years of Muslim control, the Frankish king Pepin the Short helped secure the area.

During the Middle Ages, Carcassonne was ruled by a fiefdom called the County of Carcassonne. This area often joined with the County of Razès. The origins of the county likely began with local leaders from the Visigoths, but the first known count was Bello, who lived during the time of Charlemagne. Bello started a family called the Bellonids, who ruled parts of Septimania and Catalonia for three centuries. In 1067, Carcassonne was inherited by Raimond-Bernard Trencavel, a viscount from Albi and Nîmes, after he married Ermengard, the sister of the last count of Carcassonne. Over time, the Trencavel family formed alliances with either the counts of Barcelona or Toulouse. They built the Château Comtal and the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus. In 1096, Pope Urban II blessed the foundation stones of the new cathedral.

Carcassonne became well-known during the Albigensian Crusades because it was a stronghold of the Occitan Cathars. In August 1209, the army of the Papal Legate, abbot Arnaud Amalric, attacked the city. Viscount Raymond-Roger de Trencavel was captured during peace talks and died in mysterious circumstances three months later. The people of Carcassonne were forced to leave the city with only the clothes on their backs. Simon de Montfort was then made the new viscount and added to the city's defenses.

In 1240, Trencavel's son tried but failed to take back his family's land. Carcassonne officially became part of the French kingdom in 1247. It became a border fortress between France and the Crown of Aragon under the 1258 Treaty of Corbeil. King Louis IX built a new part of the city across the river, and he and his successor, Philip III, constructed the outer walls. At the time, people believed the fortress was impossible to capture. During the Hundred Years' War, Edward the Black Prince failed to take Carcassonne in 1355, though his forces destroyed the lower part of the city.

In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees moved the border province of Roussillon to France, reducing Carcassonne's military importance. Its walls were no longer used, and the city became a center for the wool textile industry. A source from 1723, cited by Fernand Braudel, described it as "the manufacturing center of Languedoc." This role continued until the Ottoman market declined in the late 18th century, after which the city became a small town. The town hall, called the Hôtel de Rolland, was completed in 1761.

Historical importance

During sieges, temporary wooden platforms and walls were attached to the top parts of the fortress walls through square holes. This provided protection for defenders and allowed them to step out beyond the wall to throw objects at attackers below.

Main sights

The fortified city has two outer walls arranged in circles, with 52 towers and barbicans to stop attacks from siege engines. The castle has its own drawbridge and ditch leading to a central keep. The walls include towers built over many years. One section is from the Roman period and looks different from the medieval walls, with red brick layers and shallow terracotta tile roofs. One tower was used by the Catholic Inquisition in the 13th century and is still called "The Inquisition Tower."

Carcassonne was taken away from military use during Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule and the Restoration period. The fortified cité fell into poor condition, so the French government planned to tear it down. A law in 1849 to do this caused controversy. Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, an antiquary and mayor of Carcassonne, and Prosper Mérimée, the first inspector of ancient monuments, worked to save the fortress as a historical site. Later that year, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who was already restoring the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, was asked to renovate the area.

In 1853, work began on the west and southwest walls, followed by the towers of the porte Narbonnaise and the main entrance to the cité. The fortifications were strengthened in some places, but most effort went to restoring the tower roofs and ramparts. Viollet-le-Duc ordered the removal of buildings that had grown close to the walls, some of which were very old. After his death in 1879, his student Paul Boeswillwald and later the architect Nodet continued the restoration.

The restoration faced criticism during Viollet-le-Duc’s lifetime. He used slate for roofs, even though no slate was available nearby, and added pointed tips to the roofs. These choices were said to be more common in northern France than in Carcassonne.

The ville basse dates to the Late Middle Ages. It was created as a settlement for people who left the town after the Crusades and has been the city’s economic center for centuries. Though once surrounded by walls, most of these walls are no longer intact. The Carcassonne Cathedral is located in this part of the city.

Another bridge, Pont Marengo, crosses the Canal du Midi and connects to the railway station. The Lac de la Cavayère was created as a recreational lake and is about five minutes from the city center by car.

Other sights include:
• The Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus
• The Carcassonne Cathedral
• Church of St. Vincent

Climate

Carcassonne has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen classification: Cfa), which means it has warm, wet summers and mild, moderately rainy winters. It also has some features of a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen classification: Csa), similar to southern France, where summers are very warm, often above 28 °C (82 °F), and rainfall is low during the hottest months.

Carcassonne, like other areas along the French Mediterranean coast, may experience strong thunderstorms and very heavy rains during late summer and early autumn. These weather events can cause flooding in the region. The most recent flooding occurred on 14–15 October 2018.

Economy

The newer section of the city, called Ville Basse, is located across the Aude River. This area, which began in the Middle Ages after the Crusades, produces shoes, rubber, and textiles. It is also the center of a major AOC winegrowing region. Much of the city's income comes from tourism related to the fortifications (Cité) and from boats traveling on the Canal du Midi. Carcassonne is also home to the MKE Performing Arts Academy. The city receives about three million visitors each year.

In the late 1990s, Carcassonne Airport began offering low-cost flights to European airports. By 2009, it had regular flights to cities such as Porto, Bournemouth, Cork, Dublin, Frankfurt-Hahn, London-Stansted, Liverpool, East Midlands, Glasgow-Prestwick, and Charleroi. The nearest major airport is Toulouse–Blagnac Airport, located 105 km (65 mi) northwest of Carcassonne. This airport offers flights to many domestic and international destinations.

The Gare de Carcassonne railway station has direct train connections to Toulouse, Narbonne, Perpignan, Paris, Marseille, and several regional locations. The A61 motorway links Carcassonne to Toulouse and Narbonne.

Language

French is spoken today. In the past, the language used in Carcassonne and across Languedoc-Roussillon was Occitan, not French.

Sport

In July 2025, Carcassonne was the finish city for stage 15 of the Tour de France. Tim Wellens, the 2025 Belgian road race champion, won the stage after riding ahead of the main group of cyclists. This was his first victory in the Tour de France. In July 2021, Carcassonne was the finish city for stage 13 and the starting point for stage 14 of the 2021 Tour de France. Mark Cavendish tied the record for the most Tour de France stage wins (34) at the finish in Carcassonne, matching the record previously held by Eddy Merckx. In 2018, Carcassonne was the finish city for stage 15 and the starting point for stage 16 of the Tour de France. Earlier, it was the starting point for stage 11 of the 2016 Tour de France, the starting point for a stage in the 2004 Tour de France, and the finish city for a stage in the 2006 Tour de France.

In the southwest of France, rugby union is a popular sport in Carcassonne. The city's team is called Union Sportive Carcassonnaise, or USC for short. The club has a long and respected history, including a participation in the French Championship Final in 1925. Today, USC plays in Pro D2, which is the second level of French rugby.

Rugby league is also played in Carcassonne by the AS Carcassonne club. This team competes in the Elite One Championship. Puig Aubert, a well-known rugby league player from Carcassonne, is honored with a bronze statue outside the Stade Albert Domec, where both rugby teams in the city play their games.

Arts

In May 2018, the project "Concentric, eccentric" by French-Swiss artist Felice Varini was displayed on a monument as part of the 7th edition of "IN SITU, Heritage and contemporary art," a summer event in the Occitanie / Pyrenees-Mediterranean region. The event explores the connection between modern art and historical buildings. This large artwork was created to mark the 20th anniversary of Carcassonne's addition to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The exhibit was unique because of its size and how it used the space of the city's fortifications. It was visible only from the western side of the city's walls, specifically at the pedestrian path near the Porte d'Aude. The artwork included yellow, thin painted aluminum sheets arranged in circular shapes. These sheets were placed on the towers and walls, creating a pattern that seemed to break apart and reassemble the circles. The artwork was on display from May to September 2018.

In culture

• The French poet Gustave Nadaud helped make Carcassonne well-known. He wrote a poem about a man who dreamed of seeing but could not see before dying. His poem inspired other writers and was translated into English multiple times. The musician Georges Brassens created a musical version of the poem. Lord Dunsany and William Faulkner each wrote a short story titled "Carcassonne" (included in Lord Dunsany’s collection A Dreamer’s Tales).
• On March 6, 2000, France released a stamp to honor the fortress of Carcassonne.
• In 2000, the board game Carcassonne was introduced. The game’s creator, Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, said he was deeply impressed by the landscape around Carcassonne and wanted to create a game based on it.
• The city inspired the zombie map "Citadelle des Morts" (Citadel of the Dead) in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
• The city is the main subject of the book Narrow Dog to Carcassonne, which describes a couple’s journey from England to the Mediterranean coast of France on a 60-foot (18.3-meter) narrowboat.

People

• Paul Lacombe, a French composer, was born in 1837.
• Théophile Barrau, a French sculptor, was born in 1848.
• Paul Sabatier, a French chemist who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was born in 1854.
• Henry d'Estienne, a French painter, was born in 1872.
• Suzanne Sarroca, a French operatic soprano singer, was born in 1927.
• Gilbert Benausse, a French rugby league footballer, was born in 1932.
• Alain Colmerauer, a French computer scientist who invented the programming language Prolog, was born in 1941.
• Michael Martchenko, a French-born Canadian illustrator, was born in 1942.
• Maurice Sarrail, a French soldier and General during World War I, was born in 1856.
• David Ferriol, a French rugby league player, was born in 1979.
• Olivia Ruiz, a French pop singer, was born in 1980.
• Fabrice Estebanez, a French rugby union player, was born in 1981.

International relations

Carcassonne has sister city relationships with:

• Eggenfelden, Germany
• Baeza, Spain
• Tallinn, Estonia