René Nelli
“In the French Middle Ages, from the end of the 12th century until 1209, when the Crusade was unleashed, Catharism was able to organize itself in the form of a Church and, through the great lords won to its cause, to exert a social and political influence over the whole country. At the same time, thanks to the preaching of its ministers, Catharism succeeded in modifying the general spirit of the inhabitants of Languedoc and, consequently, their daily life… In this book you will find a sort of film of the life of the Cathars in Languedoc, as it developed, from the dawn of the 13th century until 1350.” (From the introduction.)
René Nelli was a French poet, Hermeticist, essayist and historian, recognized as an authority on the Occitan culture of the Middle Ages and Catharism in particular. Nelli was a close friend of Miguel Serrano, on whom he was a major influence regarding the esoteric beliefs of Catharism.