Category: French History
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French Surnames of Dordogne and Périgord: Origins, Meanings and Family Heritage
Discover French surnames from Dordogne and Périgord — their meanings, Occitan origins and the ancestral roots connecting diaspora families to this region.
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French Surnames of Bordeaux and Aquitaine: Origins, Meanings and Family Heritage
Discover the French surnames of Bordeaux and Aquitaine — their Gascon, Basque, and Latin roots, and how families like Dupont, Laffite, and Etcheverry carried these names to Canada, Louisiana, and beyond.
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French Surnames of the Loire Valley: Origins, Meanings and Family Heritage
Discover the most common French surnames of the Loire Valley — their meanings, Frankish and Latin roots, and how Loire Valley families shaped New France and French Canada.
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The Port Town That Held Out Against France Itself — and the Towers That Remember
Discover La Rochelle’s three medieval harbour towers and the dramatic 1628 siege that shook France — plus weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Arles Has More Roman Ruins Than Most Cities in Italy
Arles holds more Roman ruins than most cities in Italy. Discover its amphitheatre, ancient theatre, and underground galleries still in use today — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The Crusade That France Launched Against Its Own People — And Still Doesn’t Celebrate
The Cathar Crusade of 1209 reshaped southern France. Today the ruined hilltop castles still stand — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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French Surnames of Gascony and Occitanie: Origins, Meanings and Family Heritage
Discover the French surnames of Gascony and Occitanie — their Occitan origins, meanings, and how they travelled from the south of France to Quebec, Louisiana, and beyond.
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The Medieval City France Tried to Demolish — and How One Man Stopped It
Carcassonne almost became rubble in 1849. Discover what saved France’s greatest medieval fortress — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Two Thousand Years Old — and Still Selling Tickets in France
France’s Roman arenas still host concerts after 2,000 years. Nîmes, Orange and Pont du Gard — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Toulouse Has Never Quite Forgiven Paris for What It Did
Toulouse turns pink at dusk and has a fascinating story behind it. Explore the Cathar past, food culture, and hidden history of France’s Pink City — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.