In the center of the village of Villerouge, in the Langedouc region of France, is the ancient castle of Termenes. The
Villerouge-Termenes castle is known as the home of the last known Cathar Prefect Guilhem Belibasate, who was
burned at the stake during the Catholic crusades of the 13th century. The Albigensian Crusades, as they are known,
were ordered by Pope Innocent III.
During those crusades, thousands of Cathars were burned at the stake. In the city of Beziers alone, thousands were
killed. History records the infamous words of Arnaud Amaury, when asked whether to kill both Catholics and Cathars,
responded: "Kill them all; God will recognize his own". He later reported to Pope Innocent III that "neither age, nor
sex, nor status had been spared, and nearly twenty thousand people perished." This should be a lesson to everyone
regarding the dangers of religious fanaticism.
The major tourist draws in the Languedoc region of France includes the coastal cities on the Mediterranean Sea in the
south. The central portion of Languedoc contains many historically interesting castles, including the midieval city of
Carcassonne and many sites of Roman ruins, such as the arena in Nimes.
The Languedoc region of France lies in the southcentral part of the country. It is currently the fastest growing region in
France. However, outside of the largest cities in the region (Toulouse, Montpellier, Nimes, and Beziers) the region is
sparsely populated in many scattered tiny and interesting villages. The region is heavily agricultural and grows roughly
one-third of all the grapes grown in France. I hope you enjoy the Slideshow or individual
photos of Villerouge displayed below.
Point to any image for an enlargement
Use the arrow keys to center enlargements
Villerouge Street #8057
Villerouge Street #8074
Villerouge Cafe #8075
Villerouge Street Gate #8084
Villerouge Street #8044
Villerouge Castle Walls #8050
Villerouge Bridge #8052
Villerouge Bridge #8053
Villerouge Castle #8085
Villerouge #8038
Coat of Arms #8047
Villerouge Castle #8086
Villerouge Castle #8065
The castle in Villerouge is better known as the Chateau de Villerouge-Termenes.
All photographs are the property of Robert Stephens and TheWorldinLight Photographic Gallery. Unauthorized reproduction or use is prohibited by US
copyright law.
