One of the most beautiful and imposing medieval fortresses in Europe is located in the Occitanie region, in the south of France: Carcassonne.<\/p>\n
It is often said that it is a medieval fortress because most of its double walled enclosure, 3 kilometers long, dates from the Middle Ages (the second enclosure was built in the 13th century), but some parts of its first enclosure are from Roman times<\/strong>, specifically from the 3rd century. The fortified city was of great importance during the Albigensian Crusade, and also had great strategic importance<\/strong>, due to its proximity to the border with the Kingdom of Aragon and later with the Kingdom of Spain.<\/p>\n After the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, by which Spain transferred the county of Roussillon to France, the city fell into decline, losing its strategic position as it was further from the border with Spain<\/strong>. This decline worsened at the beginning of the 19th century, when it lost its military status to become a prison. There were even plans to demolish it, although in the end it was abandoned, remaining almost uninhabited and in ruins.<\/strong><\/p>\n It was precisely a movement fond of ruins, romanticism, which led to promote its restoration from 1844<\/strong>, by the Parisian architect Eug\u00e8ne Viollet-le-Duc. Today it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in France. Two months ago, Caf\u00e9 Noir Walk<\/a> posted a video showing a beautiful night walk through this fortified city:<\/strong><\/p>\n
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