New Britain herald., 1930-04-11
CARCASSONNE DUAL
 CITY ALONG RIVER
0ne-Hall Settled by Exiles From
 Other Section

Washington, D. C., April H. "Flood waters threatened one of the oldest landmarks of southern France when they recently surged about the venerable city of Carcassonne,' says a bulletin from the Washington, D. C. headouarters of the National Geographic Society.
 "Carcassonne straddles the river Aude about 56 miles southeast of Toulouse. Travellers arriving at the railway station in the so-called new town on the west bank of the Aude scan the panorama for city of an- tiaues, but it is not found on that side of the river.
 New Town Built By Revolters
 "The new town is only about 800 l years older than carly American towns" continues the bulletin. Some of the inhabitants of the old ! town across the river revolted | against the king Of France and were i driven out of the old town walls. ! They were allowed to settle on the | site of the new town. That was in I 1247. "A beautiful shaded parkway ! near the railroad station introduces | Carcassonne, but a few steps beyond [ the traveller is hemmed in between | walls of stone and brick buildings l rising sheer from the sidewalks. The l streets run at right angles, forming solid blocks, the monotony of which is relieved only by few squares and small parks and q wide, shaded boulevard.
 Place Carnot Is Center of ]
 Everything "The Place Carnot H q combined market place, loafng place, and meeting place in Carcassonne. The traveller passes through quiet streets of the city when suddenly his eyes are dazzled with an array of color as he enters the square. Before the city has awakened shaggy donkeys drawing carloads of produce from nearby farms wearily tread the city streets toward the square. Beside them stalk shawled women in apron covered voluminous skirts and sum- scared, men of the soil.
 By the time the city awakens. the green, red, yellow, purple and white vegetables, fruits and flowers are carefully placed on stands un- der gay, striped awnings. In an hour the city's housewives are boisterous- ly bargaining and gestculating with the merchants. Peddlers of candy and tinware add to the din of the square, while mere curiosity seek CTS and loafers laugh and chatter.
 Old Bridge Approaches Old
 Walled Town
 "Nearby, guides show St. Nincent's church, a fourteenth century struc- ture, and St. Michaels, which is slightly older These arc among the oldest landmarks of the new town. Within q stones throw of these relics the streets which they border intersect with boulevards where well-to-do Carcassonnians promenade in Paris fashions, ride their favorite mounts, and drive their shiny auto mobiles.
 | Gross the river Aude, enter the gates of the old town, and you are on a site which was occupied by settlement somewhere back in the
 
 Aude by modern bridge or, with the ancient ramparts ahead of you. you might prefer the old thirteenth century span. The frowning gray walls of the old town were impreg- nable when batterinG rams were the high explosives of attackers. There are two walls with about 2S feet be- tween them. One glance at these ramparts Conyinces the traveller that one historian was right when he said that only famine or treason within the walls could cause the capture of the town.
 "The walls form an irregular oval about the old town and have only four openings. One opening in each wall is large enough to admit horses and wheeled vehicles, and each is guarded by series of turrets and towers. The other openings are mere holes in the walls, wide enough for only one man to squeeze through.
 Inside, narrow, cobbled streets breathe an atmosphere of many cen- turies ago. There is the venerable St. Nazaire cathedral with stained glass windows depicting Bible scenes and the chateau, where high walls once echoed with the gay revelry of Carcassonne feudal lords. These old structures look down upon streets almost deserted, for the life of Car cassonne today iH the new towr where the wine trSde, one of the old trades of the city, still fourishes."
 Count Tolstoi. the Russian author always went hatless and barefooted ro n,after what inc weather