Minerve

Minerve sits on a rocky spur above the gorges of the Cesse and the Brian and gave its name to the Minervois wine region. In 1210 Cathars took refuge here, and Simon de Montfort besieged the village for about six weeks with four siege engines. When the largest, the "Malvoisine", hit the well, Viscount Guilhem negotiated the surrender. Some 140 Cathars who refused to recant were burned on 22 July. Of the fortifications only the slender Candela tower remains.

The village is one of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France" and has only about 100 inhabitants. It lies on the D10, some 46 km east of Carcassonne. A path in the rock face leads to the Saint-Rustique well, and at the foot of the Candela the Dove Stele by Jean-Luc Séverac commemorates the Cathar martyrs. The river Cesse disappears into a large natural tunnel near Minerve; the natural bridges are regarded as a geological curiosity and can be reached in summer, when the rivers run dry. The Hurepel Museum tells the story of the siege. The car park is about 200 m from the centre, and the village is steep and cobbled; allow about two hours on foot.