Fort Towns of France: The Bastides of the Dordogne and Aquitaine

The fortified bastides of southwest France were the new towns of the Middle Ages, built to respond to the unique needs of a moment of medieval French history.

The very first bastide, the astonishingly beautiful Cordes, was created in 1222 in the wake of the bloody legacy of Catharism and the Albigensian crusade, to provide prosperity and protection for its population. All the other bastides were founded either by the English or the French within the space of 150 years, and continued to develop until the seventeenth century. Most have survived as lovely small towns in spectacular countryside, and almost two hundred are discussed, and many also illustrated, in this book.

The bastides are both visually and architecturally stunning, characterized by elaborate rings of fortifications, huge arcaded market squares, chequer-board patterns of urban layout, and exquisite combinations of wood and stone pillars and vaulting. Many endured the Hundred Years War and later the wars of religion to survive today, not as museum pieces but as animated spots, still hosts to the regular markets and fairs whose charters were granted back in the thirteenth century.

The author writes an authoritative and entertaining account of the history of the bastides, discussing their origins, their fate during the vicissitudes of war, the realities of medieval daily life within their walls and their unique architectural styles. He also brings vividly to life the strong personalities of their founders, such as the counts of Toulouse and Gaston Febus, who likened himself to the sun-god, and those of a supporting cast of colourful characters. His detailed research into this period of medieval history and his immediate response to the beauties of the bastides themselves combine to create a compelling read. The book’s extensive gazetteer, which, describes the artistic attractions and the dates of markets and events in all the bastides, also makes this an invaluable guide to southwest France.