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Béziers
Photo: Christian Ferrer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Towns & villagesCastles & CatharsFrance

Béziers

The cathedral city above the Orb

One of France's oldest cities. The Saint-Nazaire cathedral stands on the cliff above the River Orb – the terrace behind it has a magnificent view towards the Pyrenees on a clear day. During the crusade against the Cathars in 1209 the city's inhabitants were massacred; the papal legate is said to have said "Kill them all, God will know his own". Stroll along the Allées Paul Riquet, the plane-shaded main avenue, and across the 13th-century Pont Vieux. Big feria in August.

The history of the Cathars

On 22 July 1209 the crusaders stormed Béziers. The inhabitants had refused to hand over the roughly 200 Cathars living in the city. Thousands were killed, many in the church of La Madeleine where they had sought refuge. It was here that the papal legate is said to have uttered ”Kill them all, God will know his own”.

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43.3405° N, 3.2110° E

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