Siege of Narbonne (752–759)
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The siege of Narbonne took place in France between 752 and 759, led by the Frankish king Pepin the Short against the Umayyad stronghold defended by an garrison of Arab and Berber Muslim troops who had invaded Septimania and occupied the Visigothic Kingdom and its Gallo-Roman inhabitants since 719. The siege remained as a key battlefield in the context of the Carolingian expedition south to Provence and Septimania starting in 752.
Arab and Berber Muslim troops retreating from Narbonne after the Frankish conquest in 759. Illustration by Émile Bayard, 1880.
Septimania during Pepin's expedition and conquest (752–759)
Narbonne
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Narbonne is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies 849 km (528 mi) from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about 15 km (9 mi) from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and was historically a prosperous port.
From left to right, top to bottom: The Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié stadium; historic department store Aux Dames de France; the Archbishop's Palace; Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur Cathedral; the Médiathèque library and multi-media center; a sculpture on the stadium grounds; the Hall of Justice; Voltaire Bridge; the Narbonne Théâtre; City Hall square; Merchants' Bridge with a view of the Archbishop's Palace; the Cathedral and the Canal de la Robine;
Umayyad troops leaving Narbonne to Pépin le Bref, in 759. Painting of 1880
Narbonne in the late 19th century
In the old town