Category: French History
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The Port Town That Held Out Against France Itself — and the
Seven hundred years ago, two towers stood at the entrance to La Rochelle’s harbour, chained together each night with an iron chain to keep enemy ships out. The chain is long gone. The towers still stand — exactly where they always stood, guarding one of the most dramatic ports on France’s Atlantic coast. Photo: Shutterstock…
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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
The south-west of France carries one of Europe’s deepest layers of history. For centuries, the people who farmed the limestone plateaux, fished the Atlantic coast, and built cathedral cities along the Garonne spoke not French, but Occitan — the language of the troubadours, of courtly love, and of a culture that shaped medieval Europe. The…
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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.
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Inside the French City That Ruled the Christian World for 70 Years
Discover Avignon: seven popes ruled from the world’s largest Gothic palace for 70 years, and a famous half-built bridge still tells their story — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Every Pilgrim Walking to Spain Starts in This Volcanic French City
Inside the volcanic city where pilgrims have started their walk to Spain for over a thousand years — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Brittany Has More Ancient Standing Stones Than Anywhere
In a field outside the small town of Carnac, 3,000 ancient stones stand in silent rows stretching nearly four kilometres. Their builders raised them more than 6,000 years ago. No written record explains why. Photo by Umanoide on Unsplash The Carnac alignments sit in the Morbihan department of Brittany, a region more famous for its…
