Fanjeaux

Fanjeaux ( Occitan: Fanjaus ) is a southern French village with 785 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Aude department in the Languedoc- Roussillon region.

Location

Fanjeaux situated on a hill in the southeast of the landscape of Lauragais, about 82 km ( driving distance ) away in the south-east of Toulouse. About 20 kilometers to the northwest lies Castelnaudary. Up to Carcassonne is about 19 ​​km to the east.

Demographics

In the Middle Ages Fanjaux was an important town of about 3,000 inhabitants. On the eve of the French Revolution, the place still counted about 2,000 inhabitants.

Economy

As in most places of Lauragais (also Pays de la Cocagne = called Cockaigne ') played the cultivation, processing and trade of dyer's woad ( pastel) in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period an important role in the economy of the wealthy city. But already in the 18th century, the cultivation of pastel was abandoned - it was by the - been gradually displaced new indigo dye from the market - from the predominantly grown in the American colonies gained indigo plant. Since then, the farmers of cereals ( wheat, corn, sunflower) and a bit of livestock ( sheep) had to go feed the Lauragais.

Fanjeaux has share of the wine region Malepère, which produces red and rosé wines with a protected designation of origin (AOC ).

History

The name of the community is likely to derive from the Latin term Fanum Jovis, which refers to Jupiter and thus on ancient origins. In the 12th century a fortified settlement was located at the site of the future town ( castrum ) whose inhabitants mostly known to be Katharerglauben. In 1193 entertained Guilhabert de Castres, later Katharerbischof of Toulouse, where an open house for his fellow believers.

As a proponent of an intellectual and spiritual engagement with the Katharerglauben founded the Spanish nobleman Domingo de Guzman, who later became St. Dominic, who was traveling together with his bishop Diego de Acebo in the south of France, in 1206, very near Fanjaux at Prouille be first convent for converted Katharerinnen that housed over 160 religious women in 1283.

Fanjaux itself is - a traditional in slightly different versions according to legend - as the site of a miracle or a divine judgment: Dominic should write at the request of the Cathars present his arguments against their faith on a sheet of paper; this he handed over the Cathar present, who had discussed with him. They threw it into the fire, saying, 'If your arguments are correct, the list will not burn ' - he did not burn .... Then they wrote their arguments for the Katharerglauben well on a piece of paper and threw it in the same fire - twice it remained intact; the third time it flew high in the air and put a wooden beam of the roof stalls on fire .... Whether the legend was still alive Dominic, is unknown. Anyway, they were considered ominous sign for everything translated and destructive fire power of Katharerglaubens or sectarian beliefs in general. Dominic stayed several times briefly in Fanjeaux on, then where a monastery was founded in the 14th century.

During the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) Fanjeaux was at times (1209-1214) Headquarters Simon de Montfort, the leader of the Crusader army. The Hundred Years 'War (1347-1463) the town was destroyed by the troops of, the Black Prince ' Edward of Woodstock ( 1355 ). After the reconstruction it was in its heyday in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period through the cultivation of woad ( pastel). The city protected their wealth through a fortification ( Ramparts ) with 14 towers and an upstream ditch. Four of the 14 towers were in 1821 still exists.

Attractions

• The Église Notre- Dame de l' Assomption. is the parish church of Fanjeaux and was - according to tradition - built on the site of the former Jupiter sanctuary in the late 13th century. It is a single-nave Gothic church with wooden roof in the nave and six side chapels and a rib- vaulted - again domed rip - apse. Inside the church, the charred beams of the Fire miracle will be shown.
• Near the church, a cross was erected that originally stood on the site of the fire miracle in the 13th century. On the one hand it shows in the center a blessing hand; the other side shows a lamb of God ( Agnus Dei ).
• The buildings of the Dominican monastery ( Cloitre the Dominicans ) goes back to a donation from the 14th century. The current church is a century younger; it has a single nave with a straight chorus circuit and with side chapels. From simple - brick brick - cloister only the west wing is obtained; the former chapter house has been converted to a chapel. In one corner of the cloister are the ruins of the building, where the miracle of the fire is said to have played.
• In the so-called Maison St -Dominique. should have stayed with his repeated stays in Fanjeaux the preacher. It has a - later changed - fireplace from the 13th century.
• South of the church - in the middle of the main square - is a resting on wooden supports market hall ( hall ) from the 18th century, which was also used at village festivals etc..
• The Le Seignadou. ( = Sign of the cross ') called viewpoint offers beautiful views over the surrounding countryside.
• The - after the complete destruction during the revolutionary years - in the 19th century ( 1857-1878 ) according to the plans of the Dominican Lacordaire newly built Dominican convent Prouille is located about 2.5 kilometers to the northwest. The associated quadratic gallery church was built in 1886 in Romanesque- Byzantine style. About 30 nuns of the Order of Dominicaines enseignantes du Saint Nom de Jésus live in the monastery.

Gallery

Church of Our Lady - Interior

Covered market

Monastery Prouille - Interior

Personalities

• Pierre Roger de Cabaret, Knight, Faydit
• Guilhabert de Castres, Cathars, Bishop of Toulouse