\b0 From their rock, the ruins of the castle of MontsΘgur still watch over the memory of one
of the great religious tragedies of thirteenth-century France. At the time of the \i ôAlbigensian Crusade,ö\i0 carried out with the blessing of the pope, ordered by the King of France, and led by lords from north of the Loire, this region was swept by g
reedy conquerors more interested in temporal gains than in saving souls. MontsΘgur was one of the last strongholds to resist but surrendered in 1244 after a siege lasting six months. The 225 survivors preferred to be burned at the stake rather than abjur