In Cathar country, Carcassonne and its battlements are a must-see. But do you know the legend of Lady Carcas? It is said that when she alone stood in charge of a city that had been besieged for 5 years by the forces of Charlemagne, she asked for an inventory of the food stocks. A suckling pig and a bag of wheat: that’s all she got. In one final bluff, she ordered the animal to be stuffed before hurling it from the highest tower. The subterfuge had its intended effect! Charlemagne, seeing the precious grain in the guts of the sacrificed piglet, thought it would be futile to lay siege to a city that could afford to feed its livestock so lavishly.