The village of Montaillou was the last stronghold of the cult of Catharism in medieval France. Under the Inquisition of Bishop Fournier, members of this sect were persecuted and some burnt at the stake, and the interrogations about the way they lived were chronicled in a Register. From this document Ladurie has reconstructed an intriguing account of everyday peasant life in a medieval village. "Montaillou" gives us a glimpse into how people really lived 700 years ago: from their homes and the food they ate, to their body language and attitudes to sex.
Author Biography
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie was born in 1929. He has had a distinguished career, serving as Administrateur General of the Biblioth que Nationale de France (1987-94); member of the Institute (Academy of Moral and Political Sciences). He is a professor atthe Coll ge de France and chair of the department of the History of Modern Civilization.
