Editing Carcassonne

{{short description|City in Occitania, France}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Carcassonne
|native name            = {{native name|oc|Carcassona}}
|commune status         = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image                  = 1 carcassonne aerial 2016.jpg 
|caption = Aerial photograph of the Cité de Carcassonne
|image coat of arms     = Blason Carcassonne Ville Haute 11.svg
|arrondissement         = Carcassonne
|canton                 = [[Canton of Carcassonne-1|Carcassonne-1]], [[Canton of Carcassonne-2|2]] and [[Canton of Carcassonne-3|3]]
|INSEE                  = 11069
|postal code            = 11000
|mayor                  = [[Gérard Larrat]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|party                  = [[Miscellaneous right|DVD]]
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = [[Carcassonne Agglo]]
|coordinates            = {{coord|43.21|2.35|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 111
|elevation min m        = 81
|elevation max m        = 250
|area km2               = 65.08
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Carcassonne'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ɑːr|k|ə|ˈ|s|ɒ|n}} {{respell|KAR|kə|SON}},<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Carcassonne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727084120/https://www.lexico.com/definition/carcassonne |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-07-27 |title=Carcassonne |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/carcassonne|title=Carcassonne|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=29 May 2019}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|USalso|-|ˈ|s|ɔː|n|,_|-|ˈ|s|oʊ|n}} {{respell|-|SAWN|,_-|SOHN}},<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Carcassonne|access-date=29 May 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|kaʁkasɔn|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Fabricio Cardenas (Culex)-Carcassonne.wav}}, {{IPA|fr|kaχkaˈsɔnə|label=[[Meridional French|locally]]|generic=yes}}; {{Langx|oc|Carcassona}} {{IPA|oc|kaɾkaˈsunɔ|}}; {{langx|la|Carcaso}}.}} is a French [[defensive wall|fortified city]] in the [[Departments of France|department]] of [[Aude]], [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitania]]. It is the [[prefectures in France|prefecture]] of the department.

Inhabited since the [[Neolithic Period]], Carcassonne is located in the plain of the [[Aude (river)|Aude]] between historic trade routes, linking the Atlantic to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and the [[Massif Central]] to the [[Pyrénées]]. Its strategic importance was quickly recognised by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], who occupied its hilltop until the demise of the [[Western Roman Empire]]. In the fifth century, the region of [[Septimania]] was taken over by the [[Visigoths]], who founded the city of Carcassonne in the newly established [[Visigothic Kingdom]].

Its citadel, known as the [[Cité de Carcassonne]], is a medieval fortress dating back to the [[Roman Gaul|Gallo-Roman period]] and restored by the theorist and architect [[Eugène Viollet-le-Duc]] between 1853 and 1879. It was added to the [[UNESCO]] list of [[World Heritage Site]]s in 1997 because of the exceptional preservation and restoration of the medieval citadel.<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/345 "Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne".] ''[[UNESCO]]''. Accessed 13 February 2014.</ref> Consequently, Carcassonne relies heavily on tourism but also counts manufacturing and [[winemaking]] as some of its other key economic sectors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-01 |title=Carcassonne may have a grisly history, but today it's a ravishing hilltop fortress |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/550539/carcassonne-may-have-a-grisly-history-but-today-its-a-ravishing-hilltop-fortress/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Daily Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Geography ==
Carcassonne is located in the south of France about {{convert|80|km}} east of [[Toulouse]]. Its strategic location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea has been known since the [[Neolithic]] era. The town's area is about {{Cvt|65|km2}}, which is significantly larger than the numerous small towns in the department of Aude. The rivers Aude, Fresquel, and the [[Canal du Midi]] flow through the town.

== History ==
The first signs of settlement in this region have been dated to about 3500 BC, but the hill site of ''Carsac''—a [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] [[toponymy|place-name]] that has been retained at other sites in the south—became an important trading place in the sixth century BC. The [[Volcae Tectosages]] fortified it and made it into an ''[[oppidum]]'', a hill fort, which is when it was named "Carsac".<ref name=Rospond>Explanation about "Carsac" in Appendix VI of [https://books.google.com/books?id=ebK-CwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Julia+Carsaco%22&pg=PT443 The Gallic Wars] by Julius Caesar, edited by Vincent Rospond: ''Carsac was [the] Celtic place-name [of a settlement] which became an important trading place in the 6th century BCE. The Volcae Tectosages fortified it as an [[oppidum]]. The Latin name for this place was Carcaso, which today is called Carcassonne. Carsac became strategically identified when [the] Romans fortified the hilltop around 100 BCE and eventually made it the colonia of Julia Carsaco, later Carcasum. The main part of the lower courses of the northern ramparts dates from Gallo-Roman times.''</ref><ref name=Cowper>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oFq1CwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Julia+Carsaco%22&pg=PA17 |title=Cathar Castles: Fortresses of the Albigensian Crusade 1209–1300 - Marcus Cowper - Google Books |date=2012-06-20 |isbn=9781849080545 |accessdate=2022-08-04|last1=Cowper |first1=Marcus |publisher=Bloomsbury }}</ref>

The [[folk etymology]]—involving a [[châtelain]]e named [[Lady Carcas]], a ruse ending a [[siege]], and the joyous ringing of bells ("{{lang|fr|Carcas}} sona")—though memorialized in a [[Gothic Revival architecture|neo-Gothic]] sculpture of ''Mme. {{lang|fr|Carcas}}'' on a column near the [[:File:Narbonne-carcas.png|Narbonne Gate]], is of modern invention.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} The name can be derived as an [[augmentative]] of the name Carcas.
[[File:cathars expelled.JPG|thumb|230px|left|[[Miniature (illuminated manuscript)|Miniature]] depicting [[Cathars]] being expelled from Carcassonne in 1209]]

Carcassonne became strategically identified when the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] fortified the hilltop around 100 BC and eventually made it the {{Lang|la|[[Colonia (Roman)|colonia]]}} of ''Julia Carsaco'',<!--Carsaco is correct--> later ''Carcaso'', later ''Carcasum'' (by the process of swapping consonants known as [[metathesis (linguistics)|metathesis]]). The main part of the lower courses of the northern [[defensive wall|ramparts]] dates from [[Gallo-Roman culture|Gallo-Roman]] times.<ref name=Rospond/><ref name=Cowper/> In AD 462 the Romans officially ceded [[Septimania]] to the [[Visigoths|Visigothic]] king [[Theodoric II]] who had held Carcassonne since AD 453. He built more [[fortification]]s at Carcassonne, which was a frontier post on the northern marches.{{clarify|of what?|date=August 2023}} Traces of them still stand.

Theodoric is thought to have begun the predecessor of the [[basilica]] that is now dedicated to [[Nazarius and Celsus|Saint Nazaire]]. In AD 508 the Visigoths successfully foiled attacks by the [[Frankish kingdom|Frankish king]] [[Clovis I]]. In [[Francia]], the Arab and Berber Muslim forces [[Umayyad invasion of Gaul|invaded]] the region of [[Septimania]] in AD 719 and deposed the local [[Visigothic Kingdom]] in AD 720;<ref name="Deanesly 2019">{{cite book |last=Deanesly |first=Margaret |author-link=Margaret Deanesly |year=2019 |title=A History of Early Medieval Europe: From 476–911 |chapter=The Later Merovingians |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=20ufDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT244 |location=[[London]] and [[New York City]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |edition=1st |series=Routledge Library Editions: The Medieval World |pages=244–245 |isbn=9780367184582}}</ref><ref name="Collins 1998">{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Collins |year=1998 |title=Charlemagne |chapter=Italy and Spain, 773–801 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05IVoPSfb48C&pg=PA66 |location=[[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[London]], and [[Toronto]] |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]/[[University of Toronto Press]] |pages=65–66 |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-26924-2_4 |isbn=978-1-349-26924-2}}</ref> after the [[Siege of Narbonne (752–759)|Frankish conquest of Narbonne in 759]], the Muslim Arabs and Berbers were defeated by the [[Christianity in the Middle Ages|Christian]] [[Franks]] and retreated to Andalusia after 40 years of occupation, and the [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingian king]] [[Pepin the Short]] came up reinforced.<ref name="Deanesly 2019"/><ref name="Collins 1998"/>

A medieval fiefdom, the [[county of Carcassonne]], controlled the city and its environs. It was often united with the [[county of Razès]]. The origins of Carcassonne as a county probably lie in local representatives of the Visigoths, but the first count known by name is [[Bello of Carcassonne|Bello]] of the time of [[Charlemagne]]. Bello founded a dynasty, the [[Bellonids]], which would rule many ''[[honores]]'' in Septimania and [[Catalonia]] for three centuries. In 1067, Carcassonne became the property of Raimond-Bernard Trencavel, [[viscount]] of [[Albi]] and [[Nîmes]], through his marriage with Ermengard, sister of the last count of Carcassonne. In the following centuries, the [[Trencavel]] family allied in succession with either the counts of Barcelona or of Toulouse. They built the ''Château Comtal'' and the [[Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus]]. In 1096, [[Pope Urban II]] blessed the foundation stones of the new [[Carcassonne Cathedral|cathedral]].

Carcassonne became famous for its role in the [[Albigensian Crusade]]s when the city was a stronghold of Occitan [[Catharism|Cathars]]. In August 1209 the crusading army of the [[Papal legate|Papal Legate]], abbot [[Arnaud Amalric]], forced its citizens to surrender. Viscount [[Raymond-Roger de Trencavel]] was imprisoned while negotiating his city's surrender and died in mysterious circumstances three months later in his dungeon. The people of Carcassonne were allowed to leave—in effect, expelled from their city with nothing more than the shirts on their backs. [[Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]] was appointed the new viscount and added to the fortifications.

[[File:Empire carolingien 768-811.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Expansion of the [[Frankish Empire]]:<br />Blue = realm of [[Pepin the Short]] in 758;<br />Orange = expansion under [[Charlemagne]] until 814;<br />Yellow = [[March (territory)#Frankish Empire and successor states|Marches]] and dependencies;<br />Red = [[Papal States]].]]
In 1240, Trencavel's son tried unsuccessfully to reconquer his old domain. The city submitted to the rule of the kingdom of France in 1247. Carcassonne became a border fortress between France and the [[Crown of Aragon]] under the 1258 [[Treaty of Corbeil (1258)|Treaty of Corbeil]]. [[King Louis IX]] founded the new part of the town across the river. He and his successor [[Philip III of France|Philip III]] built the outer ramparts. Contemporary opinion still considered the fortress impregnable. During the [[Hundred Years' War]], [[Edward the Black Prince]] failed to take the city in 1355, although his troops destroyed the lower town.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Crecy War |last=Burne |first=A.H. |author-link=A.H. Burne|year=1999 |orig-year=1955|publisher=Wordsworth |location=Ware, Herts|isbn=1-85367-081-2 |pages=254–255}}</ref>

In 1659, the [[Treaty of the Pyrenees]] transferred the border province of [[Roussillon]] to France, and Carcassonne's military significance was reduced. Its fortifications were abandoned and the city became mainly an economic center of the [[wool]]len textile industry, for which a 1723 source quoted by [[Fernand Braudel]] found it "the manufacturing center of Languedoc".<ref>Fernand Braudel, ''The Wheels of Commerce'' 1982, vol. II of ''Civilization and Capitalism'', Brian Anderson.</ref> It remained so until the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] market collapsed at the end of the eighteenth century, then reverted to a country town.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Faroqhi | first = Suraiya N. | author-link = Suraiya Faroqhi | year = 2006 | chapter = Introduction | title = ''In Suraiya N. Faroqhi, ed.,'' The Cambridge History of Turkey, Volume 3: The Later Ottoman Empire, 1603–1839'', pp.&nbsp;3–17'' | location = Cambridge | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]] | isbn = 978-0-521-62095-6 }} See p.&nbsp;4.</ref>

== Historical importance ==
Carcassonne was the first [[fortress]] to use [[Hoarding (castle)|hoardings]] in times of [[siege]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} Temporary wooden platforms and walls would be fitted to the upper walls of the fortress through square holes in the face of the wall, providing protection to defenders on the wall and allowing defenders to go out past the wall to drop [[projectile]]s on attackers at the wall beneath.

== Main sights ==

=== The fortified city ===
{{Main|Cité de Carcassonne}}
[[File:Painting of Carcassonne from 1462.jpeg|thumb|596x596px|This [[Medieval art|medieval drawing]] of Carcassonne from 1462, discovered by Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille in the [[Gaignières]] collection of the [[Bibliothèque du Roi|Bibliothèque Royale]], had a major influence on the project to restore Carcassonne. It reinforced [[Eugène Viollet-le-Duc|Viollet-le-Duc]]'s idea that all of the towers were topped with conical [[Roof trusses|roof trussing]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.editions-du-patrimoine.fr/Librairie/Regards/La-cite-de-Carcassonne|title=THE CITE DE CARCASSONE - EDITIONS DU PATRIMOINE|last=Francois de Lannoy|page=18}}</ref>]]

The fortified city consists essentially of a concentric design of two outer walls with 52 towers and [[barbican]]s to prevent attack by siege engines. The castle itself possesses its own drawbridge and ditch leading to a central keep. The walls consist of towers built over quite a long period.<ref>{{cite web| title=Historic Cities: Caracassonne | author=midi-france.info| publisher=midi-france.info| url=http://www.midi-france.info/030101_carcassonne.htm}}</ref> One section is Roman and is notably different from the medieval walls, with the tell-tale red brick layers and the shallow pitch terracotta tile roofs. One of these towers housed the [[Inquisition|Catholic Inquisition]] in the 13th century and is still known as "The Inquisition Tower".

Carcassonne was demilitarised under [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] and the [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Restoration]], and the fortified ''cité'' of Carcassonne fell into such disrepair that the French government decided that it should be demolished. A decree to that effect that was made official in 1849 caused an uproar. The antiquary and mayor of Carcassonne, Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, and the writer [[Prosper Mérimée]], the first inspector of ancient monuments, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as a historical monument. Later in the year the architect [[Eugène Viollet-le-Duc]], already at work restoring the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, was commissioned to renovate the place.

In 1853, work began with the west and southwest walls, followed by the towers of the ''porte Narbonnaise'' and the principal entrance to the ''cité''. The fortifications were consolidated here and there, but the chief attention was paid to restoring the roofing of the towers and the ramparts, where Viollet-le-Duc ordered the destruction of structures that had encroached against the walls, some of them of considerable age. Viollet-le-Duc left copious notes and drawings upon his death in 1879 when his pupil [[Paul Boeswillwald]] and, later, the architect Nodet continued the rehabilitation of Carcassonne.

The restoration was strongly criticized during Viollet-le-Duc's lifetime. Fresh from work in the north of France, he made the error of using slate (when there was no slate to be quarried around) instead of [[terracotta]] tiles. The slate roofs were claimed to be more typical of northern France, as was the addition of the pointed tips to the roofs.

=== Lower town ===
[[File:The ville basse, Carcassonne.jpg|thumb|Lower town across the [[Aude (river)|Aude]] river]]
The '''ville basse''' dates to the [[Late Middle Ages]]. Founded as a settlement of the expelled inhabitants of the town sometime after the crusades, it has been the economic heart of the city for centuries. Though once walled, most of the walls in this portion of the town are no longer intact. The [[Carcassonne Cathedral]] is in this part of the town.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ville-Basse |publisher=Britannica|title=Ville Basse &#124; Carcassonne, France &#124; Britannica }}</ref>

=== Other ===
{{wide image|Carcassonne Cite.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|The fortified city of Carcassonne and the Pont Vieux crossing the [[Aude (river)|Aude]] river}}

Another bridge, [[Pont Marengo]], crosses the Canal du Midi and provides access to the [[Gare de Carcassonne|railway station]]. The [[Lac de la Cavayère]] has been created as a recreational lake; it is about five minutes from the city centre by automobile.

Further sights include:
* The [[Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus]]
* The [[Carcassonne Cathedral]]
* Church of St. Vincent

== Climate ==
Carcassonne has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: '''Cfa'''), though with noticeable [[hot-summer mediterranean climate]] influence (Köppen climate classification: '''Csa'''), a climate which is more typical of southern France, with moderately wet and mild winters coupled with summers averaging above {{Cvt|28|C}} during daytime with low rainfall.

Carcassonne, along with the French Mediterranean coastline, can be subject to intense thunderstorms and torrential rains in late summer and early autumn. The Carcassonne region can be flooded in such events, the last of which happened on 14–15 October 2018.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
|location =  Carcassonne (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present)
|Jan record high C = 21.1
|Feb record high C = 25.2
|Mar record high C = 27.3
|Apr record high C = 31.3
|May record high C = 35.2
|Jun record high C = 40.7
|Jul record high C = 40.2
|Aug record high C = 43.2
|Sep record high C = 36.4
|Oct record high C = 31.9
|Nov record high C = 26.2
|Dec record high C = 22.4
|Jan record low C = -12.5
|Feb record low C = -15.2
|Mar record low C = -7.5
|Apr record low C = -1.6
|May record low C = 0.9
|Jun record low C = 6.0
|Jul record low C = 8.4
|Aug record low C = 8.2
|Sep record low C = 2.5
|Oct record low C = -2.0
|Nov record low C = -6.8
|Dec record low C = -12.0
|Jan high C = 10.0
|Feb high C = 11.4
|Mar high C = 14.9
|Apr high C = 17.7
|May high C = 21.4
|Jun high C = 25.9
|Jul high C = 28.8
|Aug high C = 28.9
|Sep high C = 24.8
|Oct high C = 19.7
|Nov high C = 13.9
|Dec high C = 10.7
| year high C = 19.0
|Jan mean C = 6.7
|Feb mean C = 7.5
|Mar mean C = 10.4
|Apr mean C = 12.9
|May mean C = 16.5
|Jun mean C = 20.5
|Jul mean C = 23.1
|Aug mean C = 23.1
|Sep mean C = 19.4
|Oct mean C = 15.5
|Nov mean C = 10.4
|Dec mean C = 7.4
| year mean C = 14.4
|Jan low C = 3.5
|Feb low C = 3.5
|Mar low C = 5.9
|Apr low C = 8.1
|May low C = 11.6
|Jun low C = 15.1
|Jul low C = 17.3
|Aug low C = 17.3
|Sep low C = 14.1
|Oct low C = 11.3
|Nov low C = 6.9
|Dec low C = 4.2
| year low C = 9.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 66.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 46.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 58.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 71.4
|May precipitation mm = 63.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 46.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 30.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 39.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 48.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 62.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 70.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 61.4
|year precipitation mm = 665.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 9.5
| Feb precipitation days = 7.6
| Mar precipitation days = 7.8
| Apr precipitation days = 9.3
| May precipitation days = 7.8
| Jun precipitation days = 5.6
| Jul precipitation days = 4.6
| Aug precipitation days = 5.1
| Sep precipitation days = 5.6
| Oct precipitation days = 7.2
| Nov precipitation days = 9.0
| Dec precipitation days = 8.5
| year precipitation days =87.7
|Jan snow days = 2.1
|Feb snow days = 2.1
|Mar snow days = 0.9
|Apr snow days = 0.3
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.6
|Dec snow days = 1.4
|year snow days = 7.4
|Jan humidity = 82
|Feb humidity = 79
|Mar humidity = 74
|Apr humidity = 74
|May humidity = 72
|Jun humidity = 69
|Jul humidity = 64
|Aug humidity = 68
|Sep humidity = 73
|Oct humidity = 80
|Nov humidity = 82
|Dec humidity = 84
|year humidity = 75.1
|Jan sun = 95.4
|Feb sun = 121.9
|Mar sun = 173.8
|Apr sun = 192.2
|May sun = 220.1
|Jun sun = 247.8
|Jul sun = 282.5
|Aug sun = 267.8
|Sep sun = 216.0
|Oct sun = 152.2
|Nov sun = 104.6
|Dec sun = 95.2
|year sun = 2169.5
|source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=11069001
|title=Normales et records pour Carcassonne (11)
|publisher=Meteociel
|access-date=14 December 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity and snowy days, 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07635-carcassonne-salvaza.html
| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Carcassonne-Salvaza (11) – altitude 126m
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 7 January 2016}}</ref>
}}

==Population==

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 3
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|6912|Carcassonne}}</ref> and INSEE (1968–2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-11069#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |10400
|1800 |15219
|1806 |14985
|1821 |15752
|1831 |20997
|1836 |22623
|1841 |21333
|1846 |21607
|1851 |20005
|1856 |19915
|1861 |20644
|1866 |22173
|1872 |24407
|1876 |25971
|1881 |27512
|1886 |29330
|1891 |28235
|1896 |29298
|1901 |30720
|1906 |30976
|1911 |30689
|1921 |29314
|1926 |33974
|1931 |34921
|1936 |33441
|1946 |38139
|1954 |37035
|1962 |40897
|1968 |43616
|1975 |42154
|1982 |41153
|1990 |43470
|1999 |43950
|2007 |47620
|2012 |47068
|2017 |46031
|2018 |46513
}}

== Economy ==
The newer part (''Ville Basse'') of the city on the other side of the Aude river (which dates back to the Middle Ages, after the crusades) manufactures shoes, [[rubber]] and textiles. It is also the center of a major [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|AOC]] winegrowing region. A major part of its income comes from the tourism connected to the fortifications (''Cité'') and from boats cruising on the [[Canal du Midi]]. Carcassonne is also home to the MKE Performing Arts Academy. Carcassonne receives about three million visitors annually.
[[File:Carcasonneouterwall.jpg|thumbnail|left|The fortified city wall]]

=== Transport ===
In the late 1990s, [[Carcassonne Salvaza Airport|Carcassonne airport]] started taking budget flights to and from European airports and by 2009 had regular flight connections with [[Porto Airport|Porto]], [[Bournemouth]], [[Cork Airport|Cork]], [[Dublin Airport|Dublin]], [[Frankfurt-Hahn]], [[London Stansted Airport|London-Stansted]], [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport|Liverpool]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolairport.com/france-carcassonne/|title=Flights to and from Liverpool|website=Liverpool John Lennon Airport}}</ref> [[East Midlands Airport|East Midlands]], [[Glasgow-Prestwick]] and [[Brussels South Charleroi Airport|Charleroi]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laverock |first=Iain |date=2021 |title=10 International airports with cheap flights to South France: 8 Carcassonne |url=https://www.gosouthfrance.com/tourism/international-airports-cheap-flights.html |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Go South France |language=en-gb}}</ref>

The [[Gare de Carcassonne]] railway station offers direct connections to Toulouse, Narbonne, Perpignan, Paris, Marseille, and several regional destinations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Gare de Carcassonne Train Station |url=https://bonjourlafrance.com/travel/france/occitanie/carcassonne/train-stations/gare-de-carcassonne-train-station/ |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=Bonjour la France |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[A61 autoroute|A61]] motorway connects Carcassonne with Toulouse and Narbonne.

== Education ==
*[[École nationale de l'aviation civile]]

== Language ==
French is spoken. Historically, the language spoken in Carcassonne and throughout Languedoc-Roussillon was not French but [[Occitan language|Occitan]].

== Sport ==
In July 2021, Carcassonne was the finish city for stage 13, and the starting point of stage 14, of the [[2021 Tour de France]]. It was at the finish in Carcassonne that [[Mark Cavendish]] tied the record for most [[Tour de France]] stage wins (34) held by [[Eddy Merckx]]. Carcassonne was the finish city for stage 15, and the starting point of stage 16, of the [[2018 Tour de France]]. Previously it was the starting point for [https://web.archive.org/web/20160704143316/http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2016/us/stage-11.html stage 11] of the [[2016 Tour de France]], the starting point for a stage in the [[2004 Tour de France]], and a stage finish in the [[2006 Tour de France]].

As in the rest of the southwest of France, [[rugby union]] is popular in Carcassonne. The city is represented by [[Union Sportive Carcassonnaise]], known locally simply as USC. The club has a proud history, having played in the [[Top 14|French Championship]] Final in 1925, and currently competes in [[Pro D2]], the second tier of [[rugby union in France|French rugby]].

[[Rugby league]] is also played, by the [[AS Carcassonne]] club. They are involved in the [[Elite One Championship]]. [[Puig Aubert]] is the most notable rugby league player to come from the Carcassonne club. There is a bronze statue of him outside the [[Stade Albert Domec]] at which the city's teams in both codes play.

== Arts ==
[[File:Carcassonne Art 09.05.2018.jpg|thumb|upright|Felice Varini, project "Concentric, eccentric" with concentric yellow circles, at Carcassonne for the 7th "IN SITU, Heritage and contemporary art" event in May 2018 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the inscription on the World Heritage List of UNESCO]]

In May 2018, as the project "Concentric, eccentric"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/11/locals-see-red-fluorescent-yellow-circles-covering-carcassonne/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/11/locals-see-red-fluorescent-yellow-circles-covering-carcassonne/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Locals see red over 'fluorescent yellow' circles covering Carcassonne fortress in the name of art|last=Samuel|first=Henry|date=2018-05-11|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref> by French-Swiss artist [[Felice Varini]], large yellow concentric circles were mounted on the monument as part of the 7th edition of "IN SITU, Heritage and contemporary art", a summer event in the Occitanie / Pyrenees-Mediterranean region focusing on the relationship between modern art and architectural heritage. This monumental work was done to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Carcassonne's inscription on the World Heritage List of [[UNESCO]].<ref name="uk"/><ref name="tour"/>

Exceptional in its size and its visibility and use of architectural space, the exhibit extended across the western front of the fortifications of the city. The work could be fully perceived only in front of the Porte d'Aude at the pedestrian route from the [[Bastide]]. The circles of yellow colour consist of thin, painted aluminium sheets, spread like waves of time and space, fragmenting and recomposing the geometry of the circles on the towers and curtain walls of the fortifications. The work was visible from May to September 2018 only.<ref name="uk">{{cite web|url=https://uk.france.fr/en/happening-now-in-france/eccentric-concentric-circles-in-carcassonne |title='Eccentric Concentric Circles' in Carcassonne |publisher=uk.france.fr |year=2018 |access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="tour">{{cite web |url=http://www.tourism-carcassonne.co.uk/detail/d3705434dbb15804e69f1f5675c915a5/1663760 |title=IN SITU 2018 – CONCENTRIQUES EXCENTRIQUES |publisher=tourism-carcassonne.co.uk |year=2018 |access-date=10 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630214237/http://www.tourism-carcassonne.co.uk/detail/d3705434dbb15804e69f1f5675c915a5/1663760 |archive-date=30 June 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== In culture ==
* The French poet [[Gustave Nadaud]] made Carcassonne famous as a city. He wrote a poem about a man who dreamed of seeing but could not see before he died. His poem inspired many others and was translated into English several times.<ref>{{cite book | last = Clark | first = Francis E. | author-link = Francis Edward Clark | year = 1922 | title = Memories of Many Men in Many Lands | publisher = The Plimpton Press | page = 504 | isbn = 9781425496036 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pA0_zyDk1xYC&pg=PA504 | access-date = 2013-03-08 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Georges Brassens]] has sung a musical version of the poem. [[Lord Dunsany]] wrote a short story [[s:A Dreamer's Tales#CARCASSONNE|"Carcassonne"]] (in ''A Dreamer's Tales'') as did [[William Faulkner]].
*On 6 March 2000 France issued a stamp commemorating the fortress of Carcassonne.<ref>[http://www.museedelaposte.fr/Expositions/Vies_de_Chateaux/Une_vie_de_pierre.htm Musée de La Poste] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918070027/http://www.museedelaposte.fr/Expositions/Vies_de_Chateaux/Une_vie_de_pierre.htm |date=18 September 2009 }}</ref>
*In 2000, the popular board game [[Carcassonne (board game)]] was released. While exploring the area for inspiration, the creator, [[Klaus-Jürgen Wrede]], "was so impressed by the whole landscape and area surrounding Carcassonne" that he "wanted to build it in a game".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-19 |title=Interview with Klaus-Jürgen Wrede |url=https://boardgamecomponents.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/interview-with-klaus-jurgen-wrede/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Board game components |language=en}}</ref>
*It was the inspiration for the Black Ops 6 Zombie Map "Citadelle des Morts" (Citadel of the Dead).<ref>{{cite web |first=Alessandro |last=Fillari |title=Black Ops 6 fan gets a head start learning the new Zombies map by visiting the real-life location that influenced it |website=GamesRadar |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fps/black-ops-6-fan-gets-a-head-start-learning-the-new-zombies-map-by-visiting-the-real-life-location-that-influenced-it/ |date=2024-11-27 |access-date=2025-02-01}}</ref>
*It was the titular destination in the book ''Narrow Dog to Carcassonne'' journalling a couple's trip from England to the Mediterranean coast of France aboard their {{convert|60|foot|meter|1|abbr=off}} [[narrowboat]].<ref>{{cite book |first= Terry |last= Darlington |date=2005 |title=Narrow Dog to Carcassonne |publisher=[[Bantam Press]] |isbn=978-0-593-05311-9 |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/60835246 |access-date=2025-02-01}}</ref>

== People ==
*[[Paul Lacombe (composer)|Paul Lacombe]], French composer, b. 1837
*[[Théophile Barrau]], French sculptor, b. 1848
*[[Paul Sabatier (chemist)|Paul Sabatier]], French chemist, co-recipient of the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]], b. 1854
*[[Henry d'Estienne]], French painter, b. 1872
*[[Suzanne Sarroca]], French operatic soprano, b. 1927
*[[Gilbert Benausse]], French rugby league footballer, b. 1932
*[[Alain Colmerauer]], French computer scientist, inventor of the programming language [[Prolog]], b. 1941
*[[Michael Martchenko]], French-born Canadian illustrator, b. 1942
*[[Maurice Sarrail]], French soldier, General of Division during the [[First World War]], b. 1856
*[[David Ferriol]], French rugby league player, b. 1979
*[[Olivia Ruiz]], French pop singer, b. 1980
*[[Fabrice Estebanez]], French rugby union player, b. 1981

== International relations ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
{{portal|France}}
Carcassonne is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Commission extra-municipale des jumelages|url=https://www.carcassonne.org/association/commission-extra-municipale-des-jumelages|website=carcassonne.org|publisher=Carcassonne|language=fr|access-date=2019-11-12}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Eggenfelden]], Germany
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Baeza, Spain]]
*{{flagicon|EST}} [[Tallinn]], Estonia

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Carcassonne}}
{{Commons}}
{{EB1911 poster|Carcassonne}}
* [http://www.carcassonne-tourisme.com/ Official website of the city of Carcassonne] <small>{{in lang|en|fr|es|de|nl}}</small>
* [http://www.carcassonne.culture.fr/ Cité de Carcassonne], from the French Ministry of Culture
* [https://www.topworldimages.com/Cite_de_Carcassonne.htm Multimedia Resources of the city of Carcassonne]

{{Aude communes}}
{{Préfectures of départements of France}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Carcassonne| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Aude]]
[[Category:Cities in Occitania (administrative region)]]
[[Category:Prefectures in France]]
[[Category:Catharism]]
[[Category:Fortified settlements]]
[[Category:Medieval defences]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 4th millennium BC]]
[[Category:Landmarks in France]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in France]]
[[Category:Languedoc]]
[[Category:Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux]]