An Unused Curiousity: A Map of Carcosa

A Map of Carcassonne

Labeled in the Provençal dialect, but with a smattering of Catalan, Venetian, French, and English, the map is an obvious fake to those familiar with the Cite de Carcassonne. The fortification is without egress –a solid wall– and encompasses a collection of anachronistic structures situated around a central amphitheater. The Basilica, also within the fortification, stands amidst a gallows field. Alongside a pallid royal crest, in Occitan, is the phrase “Find Not Yourself in Carcassonne.”

It is true that close examination of the map has led to outbreaks of hysteria and subsequent disappearances. The map’s existence belies the oft inferred conceit, that these poor souls marked their location within the gateless walls upon the vellum, only to run, shrieking, into the streets of a viral and impostor city.