I read somewhere that there was a 'Reconstituants Médiévistes' weekend at Château de Lagarde. That' a Medieval weekend to you and I. Having attended such events from similar periods of history in the U.K. I thought that this might be worth the journey. About an hours distance by Google Maps. Saturday 22nd September arrived bright and sunny so I got my act together and off I went trying,out the directions via my new mobile phone. This worked exceedingly well placed on the passenger seat I could hear the instructions quite clearly. I arrived in Lagarde village around lunchtime sticking to the instructions rather that following a sign which I noticed as I turned off the main road. I was pleased that I did, ultimately I parked in a small car park just outside the outer castle wall. I was able to see the arched construction of the steep narrow road leading from the village to the main entrance to the Château. From this point I could walk around two sides of the outer wall to the site entrance.
Arriving at the site entrance I was met by a friendly team of volunteers selling tickets and information booklets, the program of events was free. Knowing nothing about the Château my interest was piqued as I thumbed through the English translation, basically build a fortress in the 11th Century, have it taken off you by those nasty barons from the north who came south to disposes the Cathars (a recurring theme in my French blog) in the 13th C. Spend a thousand years building one of the finest Château in southern France then loose it along with your head (almost) in the Revolution. Because it was still classed as a fortress it was seized and demolished leaving the ruins you see today.
I was amazed at the size of the event as I walked into the grounds. Looking at a map of the site I believe that the camp was set up in the area of the formal gardens. I could hear the clash of cold steal and made my way to an arena where knights of the realm were fighting, not to the death, to establish the superiority of one or another brotherhood. As always in these events the umpire's decision was final, the referee had to be quick on his feet too. I watched as contestants came up against and were defeated by this knight of the Cross. Unfortunately it was not easy to take photographs due to the construction of 'ring' and safety bales of straw.
The sun was blazing down from a clear blue sky so I dread to thing of how hot these knights must be but they all appeared to be enjoying themselves as I wandered around the camp site. Indeed Ladies and their maids, children too couldn't have been much cooler in their authentic period costumes. Participants camped on the site in traditional tents, prepared their wares for sale, repaired armour, cooked authentic meals over a variety of styles of open fire and entertained themselves in traditional ways. So too the enforcement of the rules! There was a lot to see and everyone was friendly and helpful as I wandered around. The blacksmith/armourer must have been in need of a flagon of ale as he worked the bellows to heat the charcoal to heat the steel. The damsel selling mythical crystals potions, the carpenter taking orders for traditional furniture but, coming from the UK, the archer making longbows of various sizes from Ash wood caused me to remember photographs of my long dead grandfather who was a champion bowman in his day.
As I wandered around three mounts entered the park, it transpired that they were members of l'Ecrin d'Evol who would demonstrate their amazing skills at the joust held on both afternoons, I missed Saturday's performance as I did not realise that they were performing on the upper level next to the Château's inner wall. At the time I was busy sampling home grown beef straight from the spit with a huge portions of chips. The beef was succulent, living up to the aroma which drifted over the site. Worth attending on Sunday just for another plateful!
I wandered up the ancient path, trodden for centuries, to see the very end of the equestrian display. All was not lost as I wandered around the perimeter of the Château. Money raised will go towards the restoration project which is destined to make the inner areas of Château safe for visitors. You can see through the main gate into the inner courtyard but cannot enter. The Levis family were granted the castle and lands by Simon de Montfort completely reconstructing the castle between 1320 and 1330. In the 15th C a second outer wall was built around the castle after the Hundred Years War and a third added during the 17th C. Unfortunately this lead to its downfall during the French Revolution when it was seized, sold to a local who, instead of demolishing the walls sold the stone from the inner buildings as the easy option. By the time the castle was seized the walls were less defensive and more decorative. A great deal of time and money had been spent converting and improving the mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. There are still many fine carvings to see and the construction of the walls and defensive towers are of great significance in themselves.
I was able to retrace my steps preceding the grand procession, capturing the colourful costumes as they walked down through this leafy bower treading the ancient path of Lords and Ladies, serfs and peasants long gone. The entertainment would continue late into the evening as the minstrels prepared to entertain, a firework display from the Château would end the evening. I had resolved to depart as the narrow winding roads were not to my liking after dark. I returned to the car park passing a rustic garden without the castle wall. A full moon shown in a twilit sky as I passed under the arch once more. I made a safe journey home, tired but resolved to return the following day.
View my Chateau de Lagarde and Medieval Pagent Photo Album
Two days in a row Sunday broke to bright sunshine in a clear sky once again an I set off against a continuous stream of traffic heading for Andora. Fortunately my side of the road was practically empty. Arriving at the site I was in time to see some dances performed just as they would in the grate hall long ago. Once again it brought home the passion of these reenactors, their costumes authentic in every detail, this is no cheap hobby. As they danced off to towards the refreshment tent I headed there myself after all it was a hot day. About to place my order for a flagon of ale I realised that the joust was about to start up the hill.
I walked past minstrels preparing to entertain during the jousting, amused by the horn converted into a microphone in keeping with the period. The display was amazing commencing with a demonstration of skills with lance, sword and arrow as two riders competed with each, a fight with long staves to resolve the winner. The odd dispute amongst the squires serving the riders added to the spectacle. It was no mean feat to capture the hoops on lance or slice the apples from their sticks but holding a bow and arrow whilst guiding your horse at full gallop with your knees takes some beating.
And now the joust itself. Anyone who doubts that this pair mean business should look closely at the photographs to see how hard shields were hit. despite the addition of a softwood tip a ton or two of horse at several miles per hour drives the lance at grate force into the opponent. It would be very easy to do serious damage if it were not for the strength and skill of the riders. Two members of the audience who had been selected prior to the joust commencing ultimately decided upon the winner with a little help from the squires!
It's not over yet. We were now treat to a display of riding skills. Coming after the previous tests of skill and courage it proved how strong and determined these athletes are. If you get a chance to see them perform it is well worth the trip. Indeed the whole weekend was well worth it with reasonably priced tickets and refreshments. Lots of interesting things to see and buy if so inclined. But immersing oneself in the lifestyle of the period along with discovering the history of this building made for a very satisfying weekend. I wish the association good luck in their fundraising efforts and the future restoration work. I also hope that this festival, the 3rd to date, will continue long into the future too. I leave you with a last look at the castle. I turned the wrong way and missed my road but found a magnificent view.
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