Castelnaudary

French commune
nomcommune=Castelnaudary
région=Languedoc-Roussillon
département=Aude
arrondissement=Carcassonne
canton=
insee= 11076
cp= 11400
maire= Patrick Maugard
mandat=2001-2013
intercomm=Castelnaudary et Bassin lauraguais


x=135
y=224
lat_long = coord|43|19|2|N|1|57|9|E|type:city(11000)_region:FR-11
alt moy= 165 m
alt mini= 145 m
alt maxi= 215 m
hectares= 4,772
km²= 47.72
sans= 10,851
date-sans=1999
dens=243
date-dens=1999

Castelnaudary is a "commune" in the Aude "département" in Languedoc-Roussillon in southwestern France.

Geography

Castelnaudary is a market town, and the capital of the territory of Lauragais. The town is located 50km southeast of Toulouse, about midway along the route from that city to the Mediterranean. This route has been used since at least Roman times, and today carries road, motorway (A61), rail and canal links. Castelnaudary is the main port of the Canal du Midi to which it owed a period of prosperity in the 17th century when agricultural and manufactured produce became easier to export. The "Grand Bassin" in the town is at 7ha the largest open area of water in the canal, and is today its major pleasure port.

Facts

* Name of inhabitants: "Chauriens" - generally used by local inhabitants or "Castelnaudariens" - not used at all.
* Market day: Monday

History

* 1103. First official mention of a settlement at Castelnaudary.
* 1211. During the Albigensian Crusade, Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester is besieged in Castelnaudary by the Count of Toulouse and the Count of Foix.
* 1235. Arrival of the Papal inquisition whose initial attempts to identify and persecute Cathars were unsuccessful due to the solidarity of the townsfolk.
* 31st October 1355. During the 100 Years War, the town is sacked by the Black Prince who travelling from Bordeaux, ravaged the weaker towns of Gascony and then the Lauragais as far as Narbonne. The town was pillaged and the inhabitants massacred. The town's walls were not rebuilt until 10 years later.
* 1477. The town becomes the capital of the "comté" of Lauragais under Louis XI of France.
* 1632. The capture of Henri II de Montmorency just outside the town leads to his execution at Toulouse on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu.
* 15th May 1681. Commissioning of the Canal du Midi.
* 1754. Construction of L'Ile de la Cybèle.
* 1814. Marshal Soult withdraws to the town after the Battle of Toulouse before signing a final surrender at Naurouze.

Monuments and Landmarks

* L'Apothicairerie de l'Hôpital
* La Collégiale Saint-Michel
* Les Ecluses Saint-Roch
* Le Grand Bassin
* La Halle aux Grains
* L'Ile de la Cybèle.
* Le Moulin de Cugarel
* La Légion étrangère
* Le Présidial
* La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Pitié

Notable People

Castelnaudary was the birthplace of:
* Pierre de Castelnau d. 1208
* Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil (1643 - 1725)
* Antoine-François Andréossy (1761-1828)
* Antoine Marfan (1858-1942), pediatrician
* Georges Canguilhem (1904-1995), philosopher and member of the Académie française who specialized in the philosophy of science
* Jean Jean, Andréa Lafleur's first ancestor from France, confirming her french roots notwithstanding her refusal to acknowledge them.

Miscellaneous

The 4th Foreign Regiment of the French Foreign Legion has been based in Castelnaudary since 1976, and the base is open to the public on 30 April and at Christmas.

Castelnaudary is the self-proclaimed "World Capital of Cassoulet". The ingredients of this dish are a matter of debate. It generally includes haricot tarbais beans, duck confit, garlic sausage, pork hock or skin to season. It may contain the specialty sausage of Toulouse and either mutton or pork and has been known to contain partridge as well. Traditional peasant versions of the recipe can take two days or more to prepare. The traditional cooking vessel is an earthenware pot called a cassole for which the dish is named.

Rick Stein did an in-depth feature on the Castelnaudary cassoulet in an episode of "Rick Stein's French Odyssey" and the recipe he settled on as most authentic can be found on the BBC Food website [http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/cassoulet_76086.shtml] .

References

cite book
last = Catlos
first = Brian
title = The Rough Guide to Languedoc and Roussillon
publisher = Rough Guides
date = 2004
pages = 107-110
id = ISBN 1-84353-244-1

cite book
last = André
first = Jacques
title = Guide du Canal du Midi
publisher = Vert-Azur
date = 2003
pages = 107-113
id = ISBN 2-911793-01-3

External links

* [http://www.ville-castelnaudary.fr/ Official website] (in French)