The Avignonet massacre occurred on the eve of 28 May 1242 when a small force, mainly consisting of Cathars, massacred a group of inquisitors during the Albigensian Crusade.
Guillaume Arnaud and Etienne de Saint-Thibery, the chief inquisitors of the County of Toulouse were visiting Avignonet.[1][2] Arnaud and Saint-Thibery were lodged at the castle of Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse.[1] The count's nephew, Raymond d'Alfaro sent a letter to Montsegur, where there were a number of prominent Cathars, including Pierre Roger.[1][2]
The letter informed Pierre Roger that the inquisitors were in Avignonet.[2]
Pierre Roger set out for Avignonet with about 15 knights and 40 horse riding sergeants, which was about half of his Montsegur garrison.[3] Pierre Roger stopped at the town of Gaja-la-Selve, taking up a reserve position while the others continued.[1][2]
By nightfall, the raiders had arrived at Avignonet.[1] A messenger continued to give them information about the activities of the inquisitors.[1] Sympathetic locals opened the gates for the raiders[1][2][3] and twelve knights and fifteen locals marched toward the castle.[3] The raiders broke down the castle door and hacked the inquisitors to death.[1] Eleven men died.[1] The castle was then looted.[1][2]
The massacre was celebrated by Cathars in short vernacular songs (coblas esparsas).[4] Eventually, the French government decided to crack down on the Cathars, resulting in the Siege of Montségur from 1243 to 1244.[3]
