The Cocagne region where everything is found in abundance….is to be found south of the Tarn. In the middle ages, ‘pastel’ (Isatis tinctoria) was grown – a plant with yellow flowers, famous for the extraction of a blue dye. Starting with the pulp of the pastel flower which was drained and kneaded, a ball or ‘cocagne’ was formed; this paste ball, fermented and dried becomes ‘agranat’ producing a dye which was sold for the same price as gold. It was exported to Flanders, Italy, Spain and England. This golden age or ‘pastel age’ (1463-1560) came to an end when indigo arrived from the colonies in the East.
The most productive area for pastel was the triangle between Toulouse, Albi and Carcassonne. The prosperous merchants showed off their colossal fortunes in splendid mansions: the Hotel d'Assezat in Toulouse is perhaps the most beautiful of these palaces, it accommodates the Bemberg Foundation. Some of the other mansions can be visited on the Journée du Patrimoine in September. In Albi and some of the bastides albigeoises, (Cordes, Bruniquel) one can find smaller but equally magnificent town houses of woad merchants. And in literature remained the mythical land of plenty, the Cockaigne or Cockayne, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease.
Text & pictures: © Bed and Breakfast Artichaud
