Students frequently ask where did the Tradition called Laconneau originate? Who started it? What is its real history? The answers to those questions lie in the Tradition’s mythology, a story inseparably intertwined with the history of the Languedoc itself. Starting nearly two thousand years ago on a beach in southern France, from the first footsteps on the seashore near what is now the little town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer the founders then wound their way through the highlands of the Massif de la Sainte-Baume and, from there, westward into the mountain heartland of southwestern France then called Roman Gaul.

Since then, like the country itself, the Tradition has had a long, turbulent and, at times, bloody history. It has survived wars, crusades, invasion and centuries of persecution. It witnessed the blossoming of Occitan culture, and the rise and fall of Les Cathares, their tragic and deadly persecution, culminating in what is commonly perceived as their final extermination on the pyres of the Inquisition at Montsegur. The centuries that followed these terrible events saw the systematic destruction of Occitan culture at the hands of the Northern invaders and the Roman Inquisition, and the subsequent horrors and atrocities of the wars of religion. All through the centuries, silently and hidden in plain sight, Laconneau survived and continued its work, and its history and symbolism is written for all to see in the rocks and ruins of the Languedoc.

This autumn we are pleased to announce the Sentier de Laconneau, a new pilgrimage aimed at taking its participants on a living journey through the history of the Tradition. Starting at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, we will retrace the steps of the Tradition’s founders that led eventually to its final home deep in the mountains of the Languedoc.

Our view of pilgrimage is a journey undertaken not in an air-conditioned coach, but rather on foot in a manner that allows the participant to truly experience the land and its history. Participants on the Sentier de Laconneau will walk the trails and mountains that have for so long been the Tradition’s home and perhaps in so doing even discover something of great value hidden deep within themselves.

For more information or to reserve your place, contact Alex at alex@laconneau.org .