by Keith Redfern

Created on: October 30, 2009

At the southern end of France's Mediterranean coast lies the plain of Roussillon, part of departement 66, Pyrenees-Orientales. For many this is considered the French part of Catalonia, with Perpignan as its main town.

In fact this whole area has a fascinating history, evidence of which is present both in Perpignan itself and in the surrounding plains and hills.

There were times when Roussillon was part of Spain, and others when it was entirely independent. A few miles north of Perpignan, at Salses, is a fortress built by the Spanish to keep out the French, although the fortress was not in Spain for long, and has been French for most of its existence.

The historic rulers of the plain were the Counts of Roussillon and of Barcelona, but there was a period during the 13th and 14th centuries when the Kings of Majorca ruled from their palace in Perpignan. However their kingdom was relatively short lived, although the palace remains as one of the main sites in the present town.

Dominating the whole plain is the magnificent mountain Canigou, considered sacred to the ancient Catalan and it is easy to see why anyone would venerate it. The hook shaped summit can be seen, on clear days, from a two hours drive away to the north, and when it is capped with snow, as it is for two thirds of the year, its appearance is particularly spectacular.

Perpignan lies about seven miles from the sea and provides a good example of complementary ancient and modern sections of the same urban area, either side of the palm lined Tet river. It is full of ancient buildings and the narrow streets of the shopping and main tourist centre remain unchanged from the medieval Arab settlement.

The palace of the Kings of Majorca dominates the southern part of the old town. It has many interesting features which include a brick entrance up a wide zig zag stairway one could easily imagine horses being ridden up in the middle ages, and the apartments of the king and queen, quite separate, but connected by a narrow, exposed passageway.

Another fine building is the Loge de Mer, built as the Maritime Exchange in 1397 of a Gothic design which can still be seen in its eastern section, although the remainder was reconstructed in 1540 in the Renaissance style with carved wooden ceilings and sculpted window frames.

Nearby is the Town Hall, a 14th century building with an arcaded courtyard, to the east of which lies an area of 14th and 15th century houses and squares which surround the cathedral of St Jean. This unusual

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