R - Le Château de Laréole

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html

I’ve looked forward to this post because this chateau is one of my favorites, only to find that the name is “Laréole” not “La Réole,” as I’d thought! But I’m still going to post it under R because you must see it.  Laréole was built in 1579 and took three years to complete. It is distinctive amongst renaissance chateaus first because of the horizontal layering of red and white brick which is rare in a building this size, and second, because after its restoration started in 1984 it has been put to eager and plentiful use. Invited artists display their works inside and out at different times of the year and the lawns are conducive to outdoor concerts and fairs which are held here throughout the summer. In spite of the quietness of the place as you tour, it boasts thousands of visitors a year. The first time we went the restorations had not been completed, and I was able to peek through closed doors to see and photograph one of the original long salons running the length. Now that salon and its mate on the opposite side have been restored and are “galleries” for artwork. We’ve been lucky enough to see two different displays, which you will see photos of shortly. It’s a peaceful place with rolling fields spreading out on all sides. A small church sits in the small village just outside its gates. I recommend this chateau for anyone who likes to see history being used in such a gentile and useful way.  

Le chateau de Laréole

On the grounds with a view of a farm on another hill

In the courtyard with one of the statues on display

A rainbow by the same artist (and I can't remember their name!)

The old stables renovated into a museum for the chateau.

In the main entrance hall, a large fireplace with my kids inside to show the scale.

This was 2006 and the artist on display was Dominique Fajeau and his "keys."

In the courtyard, three spheres made of real welded keys, "clefs" pronounced (cleh) in French.

A close up of one of the spheres to show the detail.

The main entrance into the courtyard.

The view if you turn around at the front entrance. Carriages used to arrive up this avenue from the road below.

On the side of the chateau, the gardens begin.

A statue of elephants in the green surrounded by the old guard house, the stables and the chateau.

One of the salon galleries before restoration.

A statue in a restored salon gallery

The small church right outside the gates.

A row of homes facing the church.

The country attached to the chateau used for concerts and fetes.

Looking closely the grass has been cut to remind us of the layout of the formal gardens during the heyday of the chateau.

For more information on this chateau and the surrounding area sights, go HERE

M - Montsegur

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html

Montségur is steeped in such a sorrowful history that one can almost feel it as you pass the cross memorial and climb the winding path to its broken walls. It holds a special place in my heart. My husband, who was raised in Toulouse France, first brought me here and recounted its tragic history. Now I've visited numerous times, taken our children and friends there, and each time I learn something new from the experience. The castle fort just previous to the one we can now see was impregnable until treachery breached its walls and brought about the deaths of hundreds of innocents, who were burnt at the stake. Of course this happened a very long time ago and even though the castle we see isn't the one razed by the powers that were at the time, the feeling of unjustness embodies it, as does the history of those who were persecuted, the Cathars. However, the side dwellings ruins plainly seen on the far side at the base of the walls are original to the Cathars. Montségur is as shrouded in legend as it is in the mists that often obscure it. Set in the Pyrénées, if you are a history buff or a photographer, this place is a must see. It is a quiet area and off the beaten path. The village below the old castle on its rock-strewn knoll is quaint and a perfect place for a picnic. The hike up to the old fortified castle is steep so wear good footwear. If the day is clear, and sometimes even if it isn't, you will find the view is stunning and well worth the climb.

 

This video is partially filmed on location at Montségur.

The castle ruins of Montségur from the road as we come up on it

The Cathar memorial and our daughter Marjorie

Okay, onward and upward, literally

The side gate entrance to the fortified castle

Marjorie showing the scale in the back side gate

The west end interior

The east end with stairs

One side with the ruined original staircase. The holes mark where the beams went to create a second floor

This shows how the fortifications were built right into the rock of the mountain

Me in the "Chapel" area

Exterior walls with my husband Geoffrey

Exterior walls showing a partial restoration of a wall

Geoffrey and one of the views

Our son Tristan and another view. He scared me getting so close to the edge...

Marjorie and yet another view

The lands slopes sharply away from the ruins

It was a gray day but the views were still stunning

Another view from the ruins

The reason for the memorial isn't forgotten even now

Montségur, the village from on high

A "tunnel" in the village. The village is as old, if not older than the fortress ruins

The old watering trough in the village

Flora everywhere in the village

The Croix Occitan forming a "clock" Languedoc style, as a sundial on the exterior wall of a house in the village

Picnicking in a field by the village with castle ruins in the distance

Another online site to visit for more information is HERE