Castelnaudary: Information from Answers.com

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Coordinates: 43°19′09″N 1°57′16″E / 43.3191666667°N 1.95444444444°E / 43.3191666667; 1.95444444444

Administration
Commune of Castelnaudary
Location
Castelnaudary
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Carcassonne
Intercommunality	Castelnaudary et Bassin lauraguais
Mayor	Patrick Maugard (2001–2013)
Statistics
Elevation	145–215 m (480–710 ft) (avg. 165 m/540 ft)
Land area¹	47.72 km² (18.42 sq mi)
Population²	10,851 (1999)
- Density	227 /km² (590 /sq mi)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	11076/ 11400
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Canal du Midi in Castelnaudary

Castelnaudary is a commune in the Aude département in Languedoc-Roussillon in south-western France. It is in the former province of the Lauragais and famous for cassoulet of which it claims to be the world capital, and of which it is a major producer. Its inhabitants are called Chauriens or Chauriennes.

1 Geography
2 Facts
3 History
- 3.1 Origin of the name
- 3.2 Major Events
4 Monuments and Landmarks
5 Notable people
6 Miscellaneous
7 References
8 External links

Geography

Castelnaudary is a market town, and the capital of the territory of Lauragais. The town is located 50 km southeast of Toulouse, about midway along the route from that city to the Mediterranean. This route has been used since at least Roman times, and today carries road, motorway (A61), rail and canal links. Castelnaudary is the main port of the Canal du Midi to which it owed a period of prosperity in the 17th century when agricultural and manufactured produce became easier to export. The Grand Bassin in the town is at 7ha the largest open area of water in the canal, and is today its major pleasure port.

Facts

Name of inhabitants: Chauriens.
Market day: Monday

History

Origin of the name

Castelnaudary comes from the Occitan Castèlnòu d'Arri, the Latin Castellum Novum Arri, or Arrius' new castle.

Major Events

1103. First official mention of a settlement at Castelnaudary.
1211. During the Albigensian Crusade, Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester is besieged in Castelnaudary by the Count of Toulouse and the Count of Foix.
1235. Arrival of the Papal inquisition whose initial attempts to identify and persecute Cathars were unsuccessful due to the solidarity of the townsfolk.
31 October 1355. During the 100 Years War, the town is sacked by the Black Prince who travelling from Bordeaux, ravaged the weaker towns of Gascony and then the Lauragais as far as Narbonne. The town was pillaged and the inhabitants massacred. The town's walls were not rebuilt until 10 years later.
1477. The town becomes the capital of the comté of Lauragais under Louis XI of France.
1632. The capture of Henri II de Montmorency just outside the town leads to his execution at Toulouse on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu.
15 May 1681. Commissioning of the Canal du Midi.
1754. Construction of L'Ile de la Cybèle.
1814. Marshal Soult withdraws to the town after the Battle of Toulouse before signing a final surrender at Naurouze.

Monuments and Landmarks

Moulin de Cugarel

L'Apothicairerie de l'Hôpital
La Collégiale Saint-Michel
Les Ecluses Saint-Roch
Le Grand Bassin
La Halle aux Grains
L'Ile de la Cybèle.
Le Moulin de Cugarel
La Légion étrangère
Le Présidial
La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Pitié

Notable people

Castelnaudary was the birthplace of:

Pierre de Castelnau d. 1208
Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil (1643 - 1725)
Joseph Martin-Dauch (1741 - 1801), one of the few deputies known to have abstained from taking the Tennis Court Oath, a major event of the French Revolution of 1789
Antoine-François Andréossy (1761-1828)
Antoine Marfan (1858-1942), pediatrician
Georges Canguilhem (1904-1995), philosopher and member of the Académie française who specialized in the philosophy of science

Miscellaneous

The 4th Foreign Regiment of the French Foreign Legion has been based in Castelnaudary since 1976, and the base is open to the public on 30 April and at Christmas.

Castelnaudary is the self-proclaimed "World Capital of Cassoulet". The ingredients of this dish are a matter of debate. It generally includes haricot tarbais beans, duck confit, garlic sausage, pork hock or skin to season. It may contain the specialty sausage of Toulouse and either mutton or pork and has been known to contain partridge as well. Traditional peasant versions of the recipe can take two days or more to prepare. The traditional cooking vessel is an earthenware pot called a cassole for which the dish is named.

Rick Stein did an in-depth feature on the Castelnaudary cassoulet in an episode of Rick Stein's French Odyssey and the recipe he settled on as most authentic can be found on the BBC Food website[1].