Bastion de Montmorency, Carcassonne

The Bastion of Montmorency, located in the southern part of Carcassonne’s lower city near the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), is a historical fortification dating back to the Wars of Religion in the late 16th century. This bastion was part of the city's defensive network designed to protect the Bastide Saint Louis, established within the medieval ramparts originally built between 1355 and 1359 under the Counts of Armagnac.

The fortification features a lug-type design, which, despite its innovative military purpose, presented significant blind spots. Like other bastions in Carcassonne, it may have included a countermine gallery, a defensive tunnel used to detect and thwart enemy mining efforts. The structure is adorned with pedimented niches—one on the south face and two on the east face—supported by consoles decorated with channels. Although time has heavily degraded the bastion’s decorative elements, traces of foliage can still be seen on its frieze.

The Bastion of Montmorency, along with the Bastion of Tour Grosse (or du Calvaire), is one of the few surviving bastions from a network that once encircled the city. Access to the bastion requires entering the courtyard of the nearby Clinique du Bastion, as it now lies within a modern urban context. A small arboretum enhances the charm of the site, offering visitors a glimpse into both the military history and natural heritage of Carcassonne.

This bastion, alongside the remnants of the lower city’s 2,800-meter-long ramparts, stands as a testament to Carcassonne’s turbulent past and its evolution from a fortified stronghold to a modern urban area.