Occitania / Political geography
The cities of the Court
Four stops, four ways of receiving power.
Montpellier, Béziers, Carcassonne and Toulouse take turns hosting the Travelling Court. None is a capital in waiting. Each retains its institutions, balances and right to negotiate the conditions of a stop.
01 / The cities of the Court
Carcassonne, contested memory
The Cité, Bastide, Trivalle and Aude crossings form a domain where history is a political resource. The Viguier arbitrates without claiming ownership of every story.
02 / The cities of the Court
Toulouse, the weight of numbers
Universities, aerospace, technology and the flows of the Garonne give Toulouse genuine centrality. Yet its eight-member Capitoulat refuses to confuse urban power with regional sovereignty.
03 / The cities of the Court
Montpellier, the fast city
Medicine, research, students, tourism and the nearby coast constantly renew faces and risks. The Consulate favours adaptation and supervised experimentation.
04 / The cities of the Court
Béziers, the southern threshold
Vineyards, the Canal du Midi, roads and Mediterranean proximity make Béziers a useful and vulnerable stop. The Five Ladders distribute hospitality so the city becomes neither barracks nor mere border.