Avignonet massacre

The Avignonet massacre occurred on the eve of 28 May 1242 when a small force, mainly consisting of Cathars, massacred a group of inquisitors during the Albigensian Crusade.

Background

Guillaume Arnaud and Etienne de Saint-Thibery, the chief inquisitors of the County of Toulouse were visiting Avignonet.[1][2] Arnaud and Saint-Thibery were lodged at the castle of Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse.[1] The count's nephew, Raymond d'Alfaro sent a letter to Montsegur, where there were a number of prominent Cathars, including Pierre Roger.[1][2] The letter informed Pierre Roger that the inquisitors were in Avignonet.[2]

The trip to Avignonet

Pierre Roger set out for Avignonet with about 15 knights and 40 horse riding sergeants, which was about half of his Montsegur garrison.[3] Pierre Roger stopped at the town of Gaja-la-Selve, taking up a reserve position while the others continued.[1][2]

The attack on the castle and subsequent massacre

By nightfall, the raiders had arrived at Avignonet.[1] A messenger continued to give them information about the activities of the inquisitors.[1] Sympathetic locals opened the gates for the raiders[1][2][3] and twelve knights and fifteen locals marched toward the castle.[3] The raiders broke down the castle door and hacked the inquisitors to death.[1] Eleven men died.[1] The castle was then looted.[1][2]

Aftermath

Eventually, the French government decided to crack down on the Cathars, resulting in the Siege of Montségur from 1243 to 1244.[3]

References
  1. Andrew P. Roach; James R. Simpson (2016). "Heresy and the Making of European Culture - Medieval and Modern Perspectives". Google Books. Taylor and Francis. p. 349. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  2. Peter Vronsky (2002). "MONTSEGUR A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FORTRESS - THE MASSACRE OF THE INQUISITORS AT AVIGNONET". Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  3. Sean McGlynn (2015). Kill Them All - Cathars and Carnage in the Albigensian Crusade. History Press. ISBN 9780750951944. Retrieved 26 June 2021.

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