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Saint-Emilion and the Libourne area
It was in this area, at the heart of this part of Gironde, that in the early Middle Ages a monk chose to establish the hermitage that was to become the town of Saint-Emilion. Along with the 8 municipalities in its jurisdiction, in 1999 the town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, under the heading “Cultural Landscapes” – a first for a winegrowing terroir.
Home of the far-famed Châteaux Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Petrus, the Libourne area was also the scene of the Battle of Castillon, in which Charles VII put an end to the Hundred Years’ War by his victory over the English in 1453.
A Tour of the Libournais
Libourne, the only bastide town in Gironde that stands on the right bank of the Dordogne. Well worth seeing are Place Abel Surchamp and its houses with their arcaded passages, and the gateway to the Grand Port, the only part of the 14th -century fortified wall still standing, and its two 15th -century towers, Tour Richard and Tour Barrée.
Guîtres : the 11th -century abbey church of Notre Dame, which protected the village in bygone days, boasts a magnificent Saintonge-style portal. Its interior framework is constructed entirely of oak and was most probably the work of local shipwrights.
For an original way of discovering Guîtres and its surroundings – rendezvous at the railway museum for a trip aboard a steam train lovingly restored by a group of volunteers. The museum also has two locomotives from 1890 and 1947, and passenger carriages from the 1930s on exhibition.
Saint Philippe d’Aiguille : Views over the Dordogne Valley.
Sainte-Foy-la-Grande : 13th -century bastide town with characteristic arcades and half-timbered houses. Its Saturday morning market is listed as one of the 100 finest in France.
Gensac : a listed “ancient village” built all of light golden stone and with fine views of the Durèze. A sound and light show held annually in the village retraces the legendary exploits of the local hero Pierre d’Escodeca, knight of Pardaillan.
Rauzan : an impressive 13th -century feudal castle. Also worth seeing is the Grotte Célestine, a cave hollowed out of the limestone rock by an underground river, and the only one of its kind in Gironde open to the public.
Saint-Jean-de-Blaignac : 15th and 16th -century mills along the River Engranne.
Saint-Sulpice de Faleyrens , in the “Pierrefitte” locality (“stone driven into the ground” in Latin or “fixed stone” in Gascon) – a 5.20 metre-high standing stone, at the foot of which the summer solstice is celebrated every June.
Vayres : the sumptuous château is of medieval origin, and was renovated in the Renaissance by Louis de Foix, who built the Cordouan Lighthouse. It boasts a monumental double spiral staircase and superb French-style gardens sweeping down to the banks of the Dordogne.
Every summer, Belvès de Castillon is the scene of a sound and light show re-enacting the Battle of Castillon and daily life in medieval times. 700 volunteers, 450 actors and more than 50 horsemen take part in this huge-scale historical reconstruction.
Also well worth a visit are the Romanesque churches in Saint-Aignan, Cornemps, Petit Palais, Villegouge, Galgon, Coutras, Saint-Médard-de-Guizières, Tayac, Francs, Saint-Cibard, Saint-Philippe d’Aiguille, Puisseguin and Montagne.
Saint Emilion
Nestling among the vineyards, the pale golden stone and Romanesque tiled village of Saint-Emilion casts an instant spell upon all who visit it. Everywhere you look harmony reigns supreme. It is perhaps most enthralling, however, to discover the town in the early hours of the morning or as evening falls – above all in summer.
The town owes its origin to a Breton monk by the name of Aemilianus (or Emilian) who came here in the 8th century to create a hermitage in the forest of Combes, which then covered the village’s present site. After his death in 767, the Benedictine monks who were his disciples undertook the construction of a monumental underground church dedicated to him. It remains the largest monolithic church in Europe.
A tour of our troglodyte heritage
The Hermitage : the natural cave that sheltered Saint Emilion for 17 years contains the saint’s bed, an oratory, and a meditation seat that legend has it encourages fertility.
The Catacombs : the cemetery adjoining the Monolith Church contains a great many sarcophagi as well as a tombstone bearing the inscription “the epitaph of Aulius”, attesting to the presence of Saint Emilian’s relics.
Monolithic church : this is the largest underground church in Europe (11m high, 38m long and 20m wide) and was hollowed out of a single block of stone. It has recently been restored and provides moving testimony to the town’s earliest Christians and their place of worship.
The Musée Souterrain de la Poterie: housed in a former stone quarry, the museum displays a remarkable collection of pottery from South-western France, from the Gallo-Roman period up to the present day. It also exhibits works by contemporary painters and sculptors.
A Tour of our above-ground heritage :
Chapelle de la Trinité: the little chapel overlooks the hermit’s cave and contains some superb multicoloured frescoes.
The Monolithic Church’s bell tower: at 133 metres, it is the second highest in Gironde, after the Saint-Michel Basilica bell tower in Bordeaux. Magnificent panoramic views over Saint-Emilion and the Dordogne Valley.
The Collegiate Church and its cloister: The church was built in the 12th century and contains a listed organ built by Gabriel Cavaillé-Coll in 1892. The cloister, which was rebuilt in the 14th century over the ruins of a Romanesque cloister, is an ideal setting for a spot of meditation…
The Tour du Roy housed the town hall up until 1720, and is the only fully intact keep in Gironde. In September, the village aldermen proclaim the “ban des vendanges” (opening of the harvest season) from the top of the tower.
The Couvent des Cordeliers : all that remains of the late 14th -century monastery of the Franciscan Recollects are its chapel and cloister.
