There was a big blue sky today for our trip to Fontfroide and all began well except for a van that refused to work properly. Up hills we laboured worse than ever as the van decided to cough up fuel and smoke in equal proportions. Most were wondering if we would make it and all were wondering if we would make it back.
The walk was in the morning and took in the classic Languedoc garrigue, low scrub mixed withpine trees hat charaterizes the area. There are huge amounts of aromatic plants, lavender, thyme and rosemary predominate, along with box and juniper and pine, and the smells that come up from our boots are heavenly.
We wind our way up and down the corbieres hills until the monastery of Fontfroide comes into view. This Cistercian foundation was the mainstay of preaching against the Cathar heresy and the list of abbots from here is a stark reminder of how active these people were in keeping Catholic orthodoxy alive.
Arnaud Amaury, Catholic leader of the Albibensian crusade and abbot of Poblet and Citeaux itself before becoming archbishop of Narbonne.
Arnaud Nouvel is legate in England and one of the inquisitors responsible for the burning of Jacques de Molay, the last master of the Templar order, on the Ile de la Cite in Paris in 1314.
His nephew was Jacques Fournier, inquisitor at Montaillou, abbot at Fontfroide, bishop of Pamiers and finally, as pope Benedict XII, builder of the bulk of the very bulky Popes’ Palace in Avignon.
The Cistercians had long been the papacy’s choice as preachers against heresy and in favour of crusade ever since Saint Bernard made them the power that dominated monasticism in the C12 church. The roll call of Cistercians in Fontfroide is a strong legacy to add to the reputation that the order has as the Pope’s activists.
We got home, just, in our sick van. And tomorrow is another day….
