Visiting Montolieu, the village of books
Today, we went on a leisurely drive into the Cabardès area, a hilly forest area at the southern feet of the Montagne Noire. Or, in simple terms, just twenty minutes’ drive north from Carcassonne!
We were on our way to Montolieu, little realising that we'd taken the (very!) scenic route there. We found a quicker, but less pretty way back later, so it was well worth it. You're heading into higher ground, along tree-lined roads which offer welcome shade on a day that reached 36C in the area.
Montolieu is known as the ’village du livre’ – the village of books. A large museum there (which we didn't visit) was set up in the early 1990s to showcase bookmaking and a love for books. Over the years that followed, people established a range of mostly second-hand bookshops. No more than twenty across the village, but just enough for a good browse. Which we did, of course...
The area, then called Valseguier, was inhabited in pre-historic times, and an abbey was founded there around AD800. The Romans grew vines and olives and sheep were kept for production of wool. During the first three hundred years, minerals were mined and exported. After the Romans, the Visigoths arrived, followed by the Saracens, who, in turn, were chased further south by the Franks.
In the early 13th century, the Cathars – a sect based on an early Christian doctrine – were persecuted by the Catholic church throughout the Languedoc area. With the help of the abbey, Simon de Montfort, the leader of the so-called, Albigensian Crusade, put particular pressure on local Cathars and confiscated property of Cathars and of those lords who had dared to tolerate them. Not long after, the French King Louis VIII annexed much of the region and had the fortress at Montolieu destroyed. And then came the Inquisition...
To find out more about Montolieu's fascinating history through time, check this link (in French).
The location of Montolieu is stunning. Set on an incline, with several rivers and streams coming together below, you have a bit of a climb at times, but the houses on the narrow lanes provide plenty of shade either side.
The bookshops are cosy, quaint, and filled with shelves upon shelves of books. Many have boxes outside with reduced titles ranging from Yoga and 1970s romance novels to Dan Brown! I bought two – one classic and one for research. Can't leave a book place without buying books, eh?!
There are a number of bars and restaurants, so visitors have a great choice, though many will likely be closed at times during winter, as is so often the case in the region. We found a shady spot for a chilled glass of rosé (with ample ice cubes provided), and enjoyed some people-watching time...
Montolieu is well worth a visit if you're near Carcassonne. Its quaint, relaxed atmosphere makes you instantly breathe out and take in the pretty little buildings and glorious views around the village.
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| Montolieu, Aude, France |
Montolieu is known as the ’village du livre’ – the village of books. A large museum there (which we didn't visit) was set up in the early 1990s to showcase bookmaking and a love for books. Over the years that followed, people established a range of mostly second-hand bookshops. No more than twenty across the village, but just enough for a good browse. Which we did, of course...
The area, then called Valseguier, was inhabited in pre-historic times, and an abbey was founded there around AD800. The Romans grew vines and olives and sheep were kept for production of wool. During the first three hundred years, minerals were mined and exported. After the Romans, the Visigoths arrived, followed by the Saracens, who, in turn, were chased further south by the Franks.
In the early 13th century, the Cathars – a sect based on an early Christian doctrine – were persecuted by the Catholic church throughout the Languedoc area. With the help of the abbey, Simon de Montfort, the leader of the so-called, Albigensian Crusade, put particular pressure on local Cathars and confiscated property of Cathars and of those lords who had dared to tolerate them. Not long after, the French King Louis VIII annexed much of the region and had the fortress at Montolieu destroyed. And then came the Inquisition...
To find out more about Montolieu's fascinating history through time, check this link (in French).
The location of Montolieu is stunning. Set on an incline, with several rivers and streams coming together below, you have a bit of a climb at times, but the houses on the narrow lanes provide plenty of shade either side.
The bookshops are cosy, quaint, and filled with shelves upon shelves of books. Many have boxes outside with reduced titles ranging from Yoga and 1970s romance novels to Dan Brown! I bought two – one classic and one for research. Can't leave a book place without buying books, eh?!
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| my purchases |
Montolieu is well worth a visit if you're near Carcassonne. Its quaint, relaxed atmosphere makes you instantly breathe out and take in the pretty little buildings and glorious views around the village.
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