Things to See in the Languedoc:   Historic Cities:   Carcassonne  (  Carcassona):   Restored

In 1659 the old Province of Roussillon passed to France under the Treaty of the Pyrenees, and Carcassonne ceased to be a frontier fortress.   The old Cité was left to decay, like the other frontier castles and was abandoned during the 18 th century.  As in many redundant medieval buildings throughout Europe, stone were extracted for new buildings, or to shore up old ones.  The roofs of the towers fell into ruin.  A decree of 1850 condemned the whole of the fortifications to demolition. 

Fortunately, Jean-Pierre Cros-Meyrevieille, an historian and archaeologist, saved the city from destruction.  Thanks to him, and two other men Mérimée and the architect Viollet-Le-Duc, the walled city of Carcassonne came under the control of "the Administration of the Arts".  An architect and medievalist Viollet le Duc began reconstruction in 1844, starting with Saint Michael's cathedral and the City's ramparts.   Restoration of the fortifications started in 1853 and continued until the 1960s.   As Viollet le Duc said himself:

Around 15 % of the city was repaired. Crenelationss were rebuilt, roofs remade and vaults consolidated.  The work of Viollet Le Duc was continued after his death in 1879 by one of his student, Boeswillwald, and later by the architect Nodet.

Some later historians and architects have claimed that this restoration work removed the authenticity of the monument, and some have quibbled about small mistakes , but the consensus is that the whole world owes a great debt to the skill and energy of Viollet Le Duc.

The medieval walled Cité and the modern city (Ville Basse) lie on opposite sides of the River, linked by a bridge, The two cities have always been very different, the ancient one a royal stronghold, the new one bustling with activity.