Montségur is a town in the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is known for its fortress, the Château de Montségur, which was built on a mountain called the "pog." This mountain was the site of one of the last strongholds used by the Cathars, a religious group. The current fortress at Montségur is not the original one from the Cathar time but was built later. It has been recognized as a historic place by the French Ministry of Culture since 1862. A book titled Holy Blood, Holy Grail mentions that Montségur was the location of a mythical treasure linked to the Holy Grail, which was taken away before the Cathars surrendered.

History

The earliest signs of people living in the area go back to the time of the Neanderthals, many thousands of years ago.

Evidence of Roman presence, such as coins and tools, has also been found near the site. The name "Montségur" comes from the Latin words "mons securus," meaning "secure mountain," which later changed to "mont ségur" in Occitan.

In the year 1204 CE, the castle was built to protect the southern border.

During the Middle Ages, the Montségur region was ruled by the Counts of Toulouse, the Viscounts of Carcassonne, and finally the Counts of Foix. Between 1243 and 1244, the Cathars, a religious group the Catholic Church considered heretical, who had taken shelter at the Montségur fortress, were surrounded by 10,000 soldiers in what is now called the siege of Montségur. In March 1244, the Cathars gave up, and about 244 people were burned together in a fire at the foot of the pog after refusing to abandon their beliefs. Around 25 individuals took the ultimate Cathar vow of consolamentum perfecti in the two weeks before surrendering. The Inquisitors recorded accurate details and listed the names of many people, who are remembered each year on March 16. These names are also shown at the museum in the village of Montsegur.