Things to See in the Languedoc:   Historic Cities:   Carcassonne  (  Carcassona):   The French Period

In 1247, the City, along with other possessions of the Viscounts of Carcassonne were formally confiscated by the French crown.  In 1248 Carcassonne was re-fortified.  Louis IX built a second outer wall. 

The local population had been banned from the old Cité but around 1262 a new borough started to emerge from the flatlands on the west bank of the river.  Louis also allowed the building of a new city.  This would become the "Bastide Saint-Louis" now the heart of the Ville Basse, with two parishes: Saint-Vincent and Saint-Michael in remembrance of the two boroughs.  The plan of the "Bastide Saint-Louis" with its regular grid pattern of streets looks like any modern American city.  

Philippe III (le Hardi or the Bold) continues defensive works, now against the King of Aragon.  Work from this period includes:

• repair of several Gallo-Roman Towers
• the Narbonnaise Gate
• the Tower of the Trésau
• the Saint-Nazaire Gate and the surrounding enclosure
• the Barbican.

All these constructions are recognisable because of the use of a technique then fashionable: "bossed" stones, ashlars with the outer face left rough. 

Carcassonne and her five sons, now provided a strong line of defence against the Kings of Aragon, who still owned the Roussillon at this time.  These new defences were tested 1355 when the Black Prince (Le Prince Noire) arrived to sack the sack the city.  The unfortified Ville Basse was completely destroyed.  It was immediately rebuilt and is now known as the Ville Basse.