Raymond Roger Trencavel

Raymond Roger Trencavel was a historical figure associated with Viscount of Carcassonne and Viscount of Béziers. The record associates Raymond Roger Trencavel with Languedoc. Raymond Roger Trencavel belonged to the Trencavel family.

Trencavel attempted to defend his territories after Béziers was sacked and Carcassonne was besieged. He surrendered after negotiations and died in captivity later in 1209. His fall allowed Simon de Montfort to take control of the Trencavel lands. His defeat marks the collapse of the local authority protecting the city and its mixed religious population.

Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth places Raymond Roger Trencavel in the historical crisis surrounding Carcassonne in 1209, when the Albigensian Crusade advances into his lands. His defence of the city, negotiations with the crusaders and eventual imprisonment give the medieval half of the novel its political structure while the fictional Alaïs experiences conquest and religious persecution from within the threatened community.