Toulouse is the principal city in the Languedoc (where Occitan is spoken), in the south of France. It was once a centre of heretical Catharism, suppressed by Simon De Montfort The Elder, ultimately leading to the annexation of the Languedoc into France. De Montfort's son was the one who contributed to parliamentary government in England.

Carcassonne is a beautiful fortified city not far from Toulouse. Like Pierrefonds, we have Viollet-Le-Duc to thank for its restoration.