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Issue #261, October 16, 2024, Château De Queribus, France
Château de Queribus
We visited Château de Queribus yesterday, a striking vertical structure coming out of the mountain top. It was one of the most interesting castles I’ve ever visited. James MacDonald, who had been our guide in Béziers and Minerve, came along with us to provide more insight.
Climbing up to Château de Queribus
Seen historically, Queribus was one of a series of outposts in the mountainous region we were driving through, with white limestone cliffs and scrubby trees punctuating the tops of ridges.
These castle outposts were part of a security network of some sort; what was impressive was the vertical nature of the spot. The views of the surrounding countryside from the top were incredible!
Mom wondering if she lived here in a past life
We passed a similar mountain-top castle, Château de Puilaurens, earlier in the day, and paused briefly to look at it from a spot by the side of the road, but did not visit that one; instead we spent quite a bit of time exploring the nooks and crannies of Queribus, trying to imagine what it would have been like to live there.
James MacDonald dispensing his insights about the Château
Despite the grand, looming nature of this defensive spot, it probably would have been fairly miserable to live in. “It’s as good as it gets for medieval times” James McDonald told us, as he led us through the various rooms.
I can imagine the main chamber being fairly cozy with a fire burning, with food and water close at hand. (we stood in what was the basement while listening to James, who noted how the floor of the main floor had been long since removed. You could see places where the floor beams had been installed, and it looked, from our perspective, that the fireplace would have been situated halfway up from where we were standing).
Interior of the Château de Queribus. Note the square holes in the wall on the right, used to hold up the floor for the second story
A short while later, we descended to the village below, Cucugnan, to have another multi-course meal on a terrace.
Lunch in Cucugnan
It’s one fancy series of meals after another on this trip, and reminds me of the Sierra Club trip I took to China in 2003 when we were shuttled into a similar series of restaurants. Of course, getting to experience the local cuisine is integral to learning about the area, and we were all hungry..
James and Ray contemplating all that has come before
The next stop was at another castle in a very small town called Villerouge-Termenès .
Scale model of the Castle in Villerouge-Termenès
This place was where one of the last surviving Cathars was burned for heresy: Guillame de Bellybast, who was led astray after falling in love and having a child, but was turned into the church officials by someone who betrayed him.
James listening to the other tour guide
We attempted a ‘digitized’ tour offered by the museum, which supposedly would play audio in the correct room once you entered, but it was fraught with problems. Poor Mom, who struggles with all things technical, was hearing incorrect videos and audio feeds, and so was not particularly enlightened by the tour. Actually, a few others encountered similar problems. too.
Saint Stephen Reredos
We did wander around the inside of the St. Stephen Church, not far from the museum.
Saint Stephen Reredos
It was in a state of decay, but it had a beautiful 'Reredos' or ornamental screen covering the back of the wall by the altar, that was last renovated in 2004, and it had beautiful paintings of Saint Stephen's life as well as old testament prophets.
A toast raised to a day well spent
Then it was off to James McDonald’s house for dinner. James had hired a caterer to prepare soufflés, plates of cheeses, lots of hard salami and sausages, all made with locally-sourced ingredients; and he had wine at the ready for those who would drink it.
We had a catered meal of local delicacies
He has an incredible place! We were told by Fran that we were going to James‘s ‘cave’, but it turned out to be anything but a cave. In fact, it was another castle; albeit smaller than the one we were staying in, but magnificent indeed. It had a commanding spot up on a hill. I was fascinated with his home and all the decorations therein. The central room had long ago been converted to a barn (with openings big enough for tractors) but he had since remodeled the place significantly. He had a large collection of swords on the walls from many different places, including Pakistan; and there was a stack of one of his published books on the counter: “Kill Them All, Did a Medieval Abbott Give the Command to his Crusader Troops”?
The moon was full, which lent an other worldly feel to the whole evening.
Another view from inside the Château
Mom and Jon, Château de Queribus
That 'ol' crown 'o Thorns
Saint Stephen Reredos - King David
Château de Queribus
We visited Château de Queribus yesterday, a striking vertical structure coming out of the mountain top. It was one of the most interesting castles I’ve ever visited. James MacDonald, who had been our guide in Béziers and Minerve, came along with us to provide more insight.
Climbing up to Château de Queribus
Seen historically, Queribus was one of a series of outposts in the mountainous region we were driving through, with white limestone cliffs and scrubby trees punctuating the tops of ridges.
These castle outposts were part of a security network of some sort; what was impressive was the vertical nature of the spot. The views of the surrounding countryside from the top were incredible!
Mom wondering if she lived here in a past life
We passed a similar mountain-top castle, Château de Puilaurens, earlier in the day, and paused briefly to look at it from a spot by the side of the road, but did not visit that one; instead we spent quite a bit of time exploring the nooks and crannies of Queribus, trying to imagine what it would have been like to live there.
James MacDonald dispensing his insights about the Château
Despite the grand, looming nature of this defensive spot, it probably would have been fairly miserable to live in. “It’s as good as it gets for medieval times” James McDonald told us, as he led us through the various rooms.
I can imagine the main chamber being fairly cozy with a fire burning, with food and water close at hand. (we stood in what was the basement while listening to James, who noted how the floor of the main floor had been long since removed. You could see places where the floor beams had been installed, and it looked, from our perspective, that the fireplace would have been situated halfway up from where we were standing).
Interior of the Château de Queribus. Note the square holes in the wall on the right, used to hold up the floor for the second story
A short while later, we descended to the village below, Cucugnan, to have another multi-course meal on a terrace.
Lunch in Cucugnan
It’s one fancy series of meals after another on this trip, and reminds me of the Sierra Club trip I took to China in 2003 when we were shuttled into a similar series of restaurants. Of course, getting to experience the local cuisine is integral to learning about the area, and we were all hungry..
James and Ray contemplating all that has come before
The next stop was at another castle in a very small town called Villerouge-Termenès .
Scale model of the Castle in Villerouge-Termenès
This place was where one of the last surviving Cathars was burned for heresy: Guillame de Bellybast, who was led astray after falling in love and having a child, but was turned into the church officials by someone who betrayed him.
James listening to the other tour guide
We attempted a ‘digitized’ tour offered by the museum, which supposedly would play audio in the correct room once you entered, but it was fraught with problems. Poor Mom, who struggles with all things technical, was hearing incorrect videos and audio feeds, and so was not particularly enlightened by the tour. Actually, a few others encountered similar problems. too.
Saint Stephen Reredos
We did wander around the inside of the St. Stephen Church, not far from the museum.
Saint Stephen Reredos
It was in a state of decay, but it had a beautiful 'Reredos' or ornamental screen covering the back of the wall by the altar, that was last renovated in 2004, and it had beautiful paintings of Saint Stephen's life as well as old testament prophets.
A toast raised to a day well spent
Then it was off to James McDonald’s house for dinner. James had hired a caterer to prepare soufflés, plates of cheeses, lots of hard salami and sausages, all made with locally-sourced ingredients; and he had wine at the ready for those who would drink it.
We had a catered meal of local delicacies
He has an incredible place! We were told by Fran that we were going to James‘s ‘cave’, but it turned out to be anything but a cave. In fact, it was another castle; albeit smaller than the one we were staying in, but magnificent indeed. It had a commanding spot up on a hill. I was fascinated with his home and all the decorations therein. The central room had long ago been converted to a barn (with openings big enough for tractors) but he had since remodeled the place significantly. He had a large collection of swords on the walls from many different places, including Pakistan; and there was a stack of one of his published books on the counter: “Kill Them All, Did a Medieval Abbott Give the Command to his Crusader Troops”?
The moon was full, which lent an other worldly feel to the whole evening.
Another view from inside the Château
Mom and Jon, Château de Queribus
That 'ol' crown 'o Thorns
Saint Stephen Reredos - King David
solo/group kukai
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen