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regional history |
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I. The general history before and during the Languedoc Roussillon formation, until the creation of the Oriental Pyrenees department
A. Prehistory and Antiquity
In prehistory, the Languedoc plain was a marshy and malaria-infested area, only the north being inhabited.
In the south of France, in the Oriental Pyrenees, in the Tautavel commune, Henry de Lumley discovered a skull and 120 fragments of the Tautavel man, dating from approximately 300 to 450000 years ago. This regional discovery, of worldly importance corresponds with the oldest European.
The region was marked in Antiquity by the Celtic invasions between the years 700 and 500 BC.
In 121 BC, with the Roman colonisation, Roussillon was military conquered and attached to Rome, the province being named ‘Narbonnaise’. The Romans were important figures in the regional scene as we know it today. In order to favour the trade with the roman provinces, they developed the regional harbour activities, especially with Port-Vendres and Canet.
They also built the Via Domitia route which links Spain to Perthus and is divided into two sections, one crossing along the coast to Port Vendre, the other through Col du Perthus.
They also developed the agriculture through the introduction of the grape vine culture, and of certain fruit trees which today are a part of the local scenery. Also, they exploited iron in the Canigou Mountains. Thermal baths like the ‘d’Amelie les Bain’ have been discovered.
In 218 BC, during the second Punic war, Hannibal, leading a Carthaginian army, having as a main characteristic an escort of elephants, passes through the Pyrenees in Col du Perthus. Defeated, this incident marked the fall of the Carthaginian Empire.
The end of the Roman Empire in the West marks the debut of the great migrations. Beginning with 406, the Vandals have marked the first barbaric invasions in Roussillon.
B. The Visigoths
Today’s Roussillon territories had fallen in the hands of the Visigoths in the year 462, but the Francs, under the leadership of Clovis, the founder of the Merovingian dynasty (476 until 751) had retaken the territories including Roussillon in 507. (Roussillon, Languedoc and Camargue back then formed Septimanie).
In 711, the Arabs had almost entirely subdued the Iberic Peninsula and had taken Narbonne in 719, Carcassonne and Nines in 725 and attacked Toulouse.
But CHARLES MARTEL is the one who, in 732, victorious at Poitiers, allows the establishment of a term for the Arab conquest, Narbonne being retaken in 737 after the battle of Birra, and the Islam slowly took over Gall towards the Peninsula (the Cordoue emirate).
In 739, Roussillon is passed over, for a short period, in the hands of the Sarazins who name it Gottie, a period in which the regional wealth is very little exploited.
C. The formation of Catalonia
’Pepin the Short’ son of ’Charles Martel’ (father of the Carolingian dynasty between 751 and 987) becomes, in 755, the ruler of the Francs, defeating the Visigoths and finishing the Narbonne siege (the capital of Septimania) which was going on for 7 years. ’Pepin the Short’ then wishes to continue the conquest of the southern slope of the Pyrenees. The Sarasin lords, finding themselves in difficulty, sign a treaty with ’Pepin the Short’ and give him Aragon.
In 793, the Sarasins had another attempt to capture Septimania. Charlemagne (768 – 814), ruler of the Francs, fought them off, and built the ‘del Camp’ monastery in Passat near Thuir, the symbol of his main victory against the Sarasins.
Charlemagne creates 5 dioceses and spreads them in Comtes, amongst which the ‘Elne diocese’ is divided between the counts in Roussillon, Conflent and Vallespir ; he then left Toulouse to be inherited by his sons under the title of ‘the Kingdom of Aquitaine’, but his lineage will not be able to maintain authority in Languedoc.
The Benedictine Order (St. Benoit reign) had begun a great development. Charlemagne wants to Christianise the region and ally with the church powers. Thus, churches and monasteries spread across and had more and more importance, especially in today’s 6th department, with monasteries such as ‘Sainte-Mariem’ ‘d’Arles sur Tech’ towards 739 or ‘Saint-Genis-des-Fontaines’ towards 800. With this strategy, Charlemagne would be crowned ‘King of the Romans’ in the year 800, thus establishing the alliance between the Carolingian dynasty and the Pope.
In 865, Septimania was divided in two provinces with capitals at Narbonne and Barcelona. In 878, at the Synod of Troy, Myron I becomes count of Roussillon, while his brother becomes count of Barcelona.
In order to protect themselves, the counts build castles and fortifications.
In the feudal era (centuries 9 -13), the power switches into the hands of different local lords, an edict of 877 allowing the passing of goods in a hereditary manner, which marks the beginning of the catalane dynasties and counts.
Deceivingly, around the 10th century, the lands which were slowly passed over to the lord transformed the once free farmers into serfs.
The real administrators are thus divided between a few noblemen.
Conflicts between counts and their lineage will mark the future, as well as a growing importance of Catholicism seen in opposition with the Muslim culture, and victories against the Sarasins. Numerous monasteries have been built in the region, for example ‘Saint Michel de Cuxa’ (between 956 and 974) and ‘Saint-Martin-du-Canigou’ towards 997).
v The Catharism which spread during the middle of the 12th century will be violently repressed beginning with the year 1209 with the Albigene crusade, and persecuted by the Inquisition for a century. The Montsegur Castle, which today is part of the Aude department, but almost bordering the Oriental Pyrenees, will be one of the last places of the cathare resistance. In 1243 it was attacked and conquered following a year of siege. In March 16th 1244, 124 Cathars were burnt alive near the castle, the last of which were burnt in 1329 at Carcassonne.
The Capetians 987-1529
After the crusade from Albi in 1215 Septimia, belonging to the French kingdom, disappears as a province.
D. The Oriental Pyrenees department (created during the French Revolution March 4th 1790)
• In 1258, at the Treaty of Corbeil, the King of France Louis the 9th establishes the frontiers between the kingdoms of France and Aragon. Thus, Roussillon and Catalonia are a part of it, but Fenouilledes are excluded. The Kingdom of France south of Corbieres is guarded by the fortresses of Termes, Aguilar, Queribus, Peyrepertuse and Puylaurens (it is because of this that the people living today in the 66th department are split and belong to two different countries, some speaking catalane and the others occitans).
In the year 1276, after the death of Jacques I, his two sons divide the kingdom between themselves, one receiving Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia and the other Roussillon, Conflent, Cerdagne, Montpellier and Majora, Perpignan becoming the continental residence of the French kings.
• In 1659, with the Pyrenees Treaty, a peace is established between the kingdoms of France and Spain. The Roussillon province and a part of Cerdagne are attached by the king of France (with the exception of Ilivia).
• Only in the year 1790 the definitive frontiers of the department are created. The Catalonians then start using the term Gavatxos in order to name the people of Fenouilledes and Aude (derogatory term, then just insulting).
• Spain regains the territory in the year 1793, but a year later France wins again the territory after the battle of Peyrestortes.
II – THE FRENCH DEPARTMENT OF TODAY’S ORIENTAL PYRENEES :
Designated as the French Catalonia or North Catalonia, today it includes Roussillon, Cerdagne, Valespir, Capsir and Conflan.
Due to its history, the regional languages are mostly French, Occitane and Catalonian.
The Oriental Pyrenees (66th department) is a part of today’s Languedoc Roussillon, it itself being made up of 5 departments (Aude, Herault, Gard, the Oriental Pyrenees, Lozere) which correspond approximately to the old Languedoc province.
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