LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

Pont du Gard - Roman Aqueduct over the Gard River, France

I looked up family crests the other day; my Mother's maiden name, my Father's surname and my paternal Grandmother. This is the history of my Mother's name:

First found in Languedoc, where the family has been anciently seated from very early times.
Coat of Arms: A shield divided quarterly: 1st and 3rd, silver with a blue lion rampant crowned; 2nd and 4th, blue with three gold fleurs de lis. In base, a red rose.

I managed to get this small pic - the colour behind the lions should be silver.

I was so thrilled to find that the fleur de lis is on the coat of Arms (as it is on most!), as I'm very fond of it and just last week bought a new front door mat with three fleur di lis. The red rose in the base would make anybody happy.

Peyrepertuse, a Cathar Castle

I went off looking for this place called Languedoc and found that it is not a town but actually a region, Languedoc-Roussillon and there are five 'departments' within, four of which border the Mediterranean Sea. The history that unfolded on this site is fantastic and I quote:

A brief introduction to the Languedoc, France (Lengadoc)

The Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the most fascinating areas of Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the Pyrenees Mountains to the south. It benefits from an exceptional climate (a "Mediterranean Climate") and has an unusually rich wildlife, a spectacular coast and surprising history. Things to see include mountains, rivers and lakes, ancient cities, towns, villages, thermal springs, abbeys and cathedrals, chateaux and castles, notably the famous mountain fortresses popularly known as Cathar Castles. It possesses a number of World Heritage sites, including Carcassonne, the Canal du Midi and the Pont du Gard.

Carcassonne

Who hasn't dreamed of visiting the south of France? If I ever get the chance, this is where I'll head to search for more clues about my French heritage, albeit a large area to cover.