Montségur
Montségur | |
|---|---|
Montségur seen from the castle | |
Location of Montségur | |
| Coordinates: 42°52′20″N 1°50′03″E / 42.8722°N 1.8342°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Ariège |
| Arrondissement | Pamiers |
| Canton | Pays d'Olmes |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Nicolas Digoudé |
Area 1 | 37.16 km2 (14.35 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 116 |
| • Density | 3.1/km2 (8.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 09211 /09300 |
| Elevation | 630–2,365 m (2,067–7,759 ft) (avg. 918 m or 3,012 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
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Montségur (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃seɡyʁ]; Languedocien: Montsegur) is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.
It is famous for its fortification, the Château de Montségur, that was built on the "pog" (mountain) on the ruins of one of the last strongholds of the Cathars. The present fortress on the site, though described as one of the "Cathar castles," is from a later period. It has been listed as a historic site by the French Ministry of Culture since 1862. According to the book, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Montségur was the location of a mythical treasure related to the Holy Grail, which was promptly smuggled away before the Cathar surrender.