Don't forget the accent "agu" over the last "e" of Cite! I just can't do it with an American keyboard.
La Cite, which is about a 12 minute walk from my apartment, was originally a Roman fortress, then a fortress for Charlamagne in his attempts against the Moors of Spain, and then it passed into the hands of the Cathar rulers of the Langued'Oc region--which was, until 1271, a separate country from France. In 1271, of course, the French king teamed up with the Pope to take over the rich farmlands and vineyards of Langued'Oc (which means, literally "language of Oc", with "oc" being "yes" in the Occitan language). As in many stories of power and resources stolen, they made up a scenario by which the Cathars were "heretics" and therefore needed to be exterminated. All so they could steal it all and feel good about it at the same time . . . seems that human history repeats itself once again.
Le Cite itself, the largest walled fortress in Europe, is now a maze of stores and restaurants--which are fun to see. The placement of La Cite on top of a hill means that you can see for miles in every direction when you stand on one of the ramparts. The sense of history at the location is palpable. I hope to take that sense of history and turn it into a story worth reading . . .
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