Por el camino

NEW AQUITAINE REGION

Departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Corrèze, Creuse, Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Haute-Vienne.

Population: 6.15 million.

Prefecture: Bordeaux

Area: 2,011 km2

Specialities: Bordeaux wines, Cognac, Armagnac, Espelette pepper, Périgord walnuts, Marmande tomatoes, Arcachon Bay oysters, Salers beef, Aquitaine blonde cattle, Bayonne ham, Pauillac lamb, Bordeaux canelés. Goose, duck, Sarladaise potatoes, Basque chicken, garbure soup, lamprey. Black truffles.

Sports clubs: Girondins de Bordeaux (football), Stade Montois, Union Sportive Dacquoise, Aviron Bayonnais, Union Bordeaux Bègles Atlantique, Stade Rochelais, CA Brive Corrèze Limousin, Section Paloise, Biarritz Olympique, SU Agen (rugby), Elan Béarnais Pau-Orthez, CSP Limoges (basketball).

Competitions: Tour de France, surfing in Lacanau (Lacanau Pro) and Biarritz. Tour du Limousin.

Festivals: Bayonne Festival, Dax Festival, Madeleine Festival in Mont-de-Marsan, Francofolies de la Rochelle, Angoulême International Comics Festival, Brive Book Fair, Nuits de nacre in Tulle, Grand Pavois de La Rochelle, Garorock in Marmande, Cognac Crime Film Festival.

Economy: Bordeaux wines, Cognac and Armagnac, aeronautics and space industry, biotechnology, chemistry, scientific research. Image and digital sector. Agri-food. Port of Bordeaux. Tourism. Universities.

Tourist attractions: Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, La Rochelle, Biarritz, Arcachon Bay, Dune du Pilat, Lascaux caves, Futuroscope in Poitiers, beaches in Lacanau, Biarritz, Biscarosse, Hourtin, Carcans, Soulac-sur-Mer, Gironde estuary, Bordeaux vineyards, Dordogne châteaux, Château de Pau, Pyrenees, Île d'Oléron, Île de Ré.

Websites and social media:www.nouvelle-aquitaine.fr

Saint-Sever (Pop. 5,000)

Saint-Sever has a rich history, as evidenced by its heritage, allowing the municipality to claim the title of "historic city of the Landes". Founded in the Middle Ages, it developed to become Caput Vasconiae, literally "Head of Gascony". From this past, this stronghold of bullfighting and rugby (birthplace of René Crabos, former captain of the French national rugby team and president of the FFR) has preserved six historic monuments, including its majestic 11th-century abbey church, listed by UNESCO since 1998 as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela. Not to mention the cloister of the Jacobins convent and the cloister of the 17th-century Benedictine abbey, which are the pride of the town.

Saint-Sever has a reputation as a medieval city, but the heritage inventory carried out in 2016 and 2017 highlighted a more recent and equally rich heritage, in which mansions occupy a prominent place.

Abbey and abbey church of Saint-Sever

Founded: 11th century

Style: Romanesque

Characteristics: a very large abbey church, 71-metres long, with a nave 31-metres wide and a transept 41-metres wide. It has a choir with six apsidioles of decreasing depth, following a Benedictine plan. The marble columns in the choir and transept come from the palace of the Roman governors of Morlanne, located nearby.

History: The Benedictine abbey of Saint-Sever experienced exceptional expansion and influence. From the 11th century onwards, its possessions stretched from the Médoc to Pamplona in Spain. The Hundred Years' War, the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution then led to its inexorable decline.

Special feature: one of the most beautiful chevet sections with seven stepped apses. Only two churches in France have retained this form, inspired by Cluny II.

Listed as: Historic Monument since 1911 / UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela since 1998.

Mont-de-Marsan (Pop. 30,000)

For cycling enthusiasts, Mont-de-Marsan is above all associated with Luis Ocana, who made his name there at the start of his career and enjoyed his first successes there. The son of Spanish immigrants who settled in the Gers, a department with which he maintained ties throughout his life, the young Luis became a Montois in 1963 when he was spotted by the president of the local club, Pierre Cescutti, and donned its yellow and black colours. Thanks to his many victories in the amateur ranks, particularly in mountain and time trial events, his opponents nicknamed him "the Spaniard from Mont-de-Marsan". He turned professional in 1968 with Spanish team Fagor and chose to retain his original nationality. His first laurels came the following year and by 1970, when he won the Vuelta, he had established himself as one of Eddy Merckx's main rivals. The 1971 Tour de France cemented his legend: wearing the Yellow Jersey after relentlessly harassing the Cannibal, Luis Ocana was caught up in a mass crash on the descent from the Col de Menté and forced to abandon the race. Bad luck would often be a part of his life, but "the Spaniard from Mont-de-Marsan" nevertheless managed to achieve his greatest glory in 1973 by winning the Tour in the absence of his Belgian rival. He never reached those heights again and his post-career was marked by accidents, health problems and financial difficulties, which led him to take his own life at his home in the Gers in 1994. Mont-de-Marsan has already hosted three Tour de France stage starts, in 1960, 1971 and 2023, each time crowning a true champion: Roger Rivière in 1960 in Pau, Eddy Merckx in 1971 in Bordeaux and Jasper Philipsen in the Gironde prefecture three years ago.

Lacataye Keep

Construction: 13th to 16th centuries.

Style: fortified house

Characteritics: it is not a "keep" in the strict sense of the word, but two clearly identifiable adjoining buildings constructed of shellstone. They are two Romanesque houses joined together. This fortified complex served as an observation post and defence tower.

History: the houses, built inside the ramparts, helped to protect the town on the Midou side, towards which the town expanded in the 13th century. The houses belonged to the Viscounts of Marsan, who abandoned them when they moved away from the town. Marguerite de Navarre (sister of François I and grandmother of Henri IV) found her "hermitage", a place of retreat and contemplation, within the walls of Mont-de-Marsan. She resided either at Lacataye or at the Château Vieux. Subsequently, the "keep" was used as a barracks.

Current use: since 1968, the building has housed the Desplau-Wiérick Museum, dedicated to two local sculptors, Charles Desplau and Robert Wiérick.

Listed as: Historic Monument since 1942.Romanesque houses

Construction: second half of the 13th century.

Characteristics: in addition to the Lacataye keep, Mont-de-Marsan has four other fortified "Romanesque houses", remnants of the town's defensive system established after its foundation. The first, located in the immediate vicinity of the Lacataye keep, houses the Dubalen Museum (an archaeological museum that can only be visited by appointment). Also on Rue Macataye, a second house serves as official accommodation for the town hall. Two other houses are located on Rue Maubec and are built against the old ramparts.

Listed as: Historic Monuments in 1929, then 1942 and 1984. Ramparts

Construction: 13th century.

History: when it was founded in 1133 by Pierre de Marsan, the town was the seat of the Viscounty of Marsan and had a defensive purpose. Surrounded by walls, it had five gates, named according to the direction in which they opened: the Roquefort, Campet, Saint-Sever, Aire and Tartas gates. Each gate was flanked by a tall tower. The original entrance to the town was through the Roquefort Gate, which gave access to the Bourg-Neuf district. The ramparts, approximately ten metres high, were built using large shellstone blocks from the nearby quarries of Uchacq, the building material used for all the old buildings in the town.

Listed as: historic monument since 1942. Madeleine Church

Construction: 1825

Style: Neoclassical.

History: the church was built by the architect Augustin Arthaud, who was responsible for the restoration of the entire district. The church was erected on the site of the previous place of worship, which had collapsed in 1821.

Characteristics: The neoclassical style of the pediment was inspired by the Madeleine Church in Paris, and the peristyle is reminiscent of the Rotonde de la Vignotte. Inside stands a marble high altar, the work of the Mazzetti brothers, surrounded by wood panelling. The main fresco, by Berthe Grimard-Baudet, is dedicated to Saint Madeleine.

Listed as: historic monument since 1975. Plumaçon bullring

Construction: 1889

Capacity: 7,100 seats.

History: organised since the 18th century, bull races took place on Place Saint-Roch, in a wooden arena that burned down in 1878. Jules Dupouy, the city's architect, was commissioned to build a permanent bullring, which was inaugurated in 1889. It was enlarged in 1933. Every year in July, it hosts five bullfights during the Madeleine festival.

Listed as: 20th-century heritage site since 2007. La Vignotte rotunda

Construction: 1812

Style: Neoclassical

History: in 1808, Napoleon I, passing through Mont-de-Marsan, offered the Vignotte site to the Agricultural Society. In 1811, the Society began construction of a neoclassical rotunda in honour of agriculture, commerce and the arts. David-François Panay was the architect. Due to a lack of funds, the rotunda was returned to private entrepreneurs. It will not reopen to the public until 2016.

Listed as: Historic Monument since 1986.

Labrit (Pop: 840)

The ruins of Labrit Castle, known as Albret Castle, are located in the commune. Built of earth and wood between 1225 and 1230, it was the birthplace of the lords of Albret, a noble Gascon family who, from there, extended their influence over the centuries until one of their own, King Henry IV, ascended the French throne. The site has been listed as a historic monument since 1990.

GIRONDE (33)

Region: Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Population: 1.7 million

Prefecture: Bordeaux

Sub-prefectures: Arcachon, Blaye, Langon, Lesparre-Médoc, Libourne

Number of municipalities: 535

Area: 10,725 km² (largest department in mainland France)

Specialities: Bordeaux wines, Médoc vineyards, Graves, Entre-Deux Mers, Saint-Emilion, Pauillac, Pomerol, Sauternes, Saint-Julien, Moulis, Margaux, Fronsac, Saint-Estèphe, Pessac-Léognan... Canelés. Pauillac lamb. Oysters from the Arcachon basin, lamprey, shad. Chabrot. Gironde caviar. Pessac strawberries. Lillet. Marie Brizard. Palombes. Sarments du Médoc (chocolates). Bordelaise sauce. Bordeaux ceps, Blayais asparagus.

Tourist attractions: Gironde estuary, quays of Pauillac, surfing on the Côte d’Argent (Lacanau, Hourtin, Carcans), Arcachon basin, Dune du Pilat, Lège-Cap Ferret, medieval town of Saint-Émilion (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Cordouan lighthouse. Citadel of Blaye. Châteaux of Roquetaillade, La Brède, Langoiran, Rauzan, Vayres, Cadillac, Cazeneuve, Villandrault. Villages of Saint-Macaire, Rions, La Réole... Abbeys of Vertheuil and La Sauve-Majeure. Teich bird park. Le Corbusier: La Cité Frugès in Pessac.

Sports clubs: Girondins de Bordeaux (football), Union Bordeaux-Bègles (Top 14 rugby), Stade Bordelais ASPTT (women's rugby), Boxers de Bordeaux (ice hockey)

Competitions: Décastar (Talence), Lacanau Pro (surfing), Médoc Marathon, Bordeaux Métropole Marathon, Tour de Gironde (cycling), Bordeaux International Show Jumping (horse riding), BNP Paribas Primerose Bordeaux (tennis)

Festivals: Bordeaux International Women's Film Festival, Bordeaux Coupé Court Short Film Festival, Bordeaux European Short Film Festival, Escale du livre, Fest'arts, Bordeaux Cinémascience International Film Festival, Bègles Animation Film Festival, Pessac International History Film Festival, Bordeaux International Independent Film Festival, Pauillac Film Festival, Hauts de Garonne Festival, Lire en Poche, Musicacité Festival, Musik à Pile, Nuits atypiques, Ouvre la Voix, La Part des anges (festival), Sun Ska Festival, Les Rendez-vous de Terres Neuves, Les Riches Heures de La Réole, VivaCité Festival, Scènes d’été en Gironde, Bordeaux Fête le vin, Bordeaux Fête le Fleuve, Bordeaux Open Air, Ouvre la voix.

Economy: viticulture, forestry, oyster farming. Tourism. Aeronautics, agri-food and wood-paper. Administration, services.

Websites and social media: https://www.gironde.fr/ / https://www.gironde-tourisme.fr/ / https://www.facebook.com/Departement.Gironde/https://twitter.com/gironde?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://www.instagram.com/departementgironde/?hl=fr

Landiras (Pop. 2,310)

In July 2022, the town was hit by a large-scale fire. The rapid spread of the fire prompted the authorities to evacuate the entire population. A month later, in mid-August, more than 21,200 hectares had been burned in the fire.

Landiras is the village where Jules Koundé, defender for FC Barcelona and the French national team, grew up.

In 2019, the village hosted the start of a stage of the Tour de Gironde, a junior race won that year by Carlos Rodriguez.

Cadillac (Pop: 2,800)

Cadillac, a fortified town founded in 1280, became an important stronghold in the 14th century, essential to the defence of Bordeaux. Later, in 1565, Cadillac was one of the stops on Charles IX's Grand Tour of France: the king spent the night there from 31 March to 1 April. Cadillac has preserved elements of its ramparts and the 14th-century Saint-Martin church, whose chapel houses the tombs of the Dukes of Épernon.

Cadillac Castle

Construction: 1598 to 1634

Style: late Renaissance, early classical

Characteristics: part of the fortified town was razed to make way for its construction. Flanked by two monumental wings and four corner pavilions, it surrounds the main courtyard, which is enclosed by a surrounding wall. The wings, pavilions and surrounding wall were dismantled in the 18th century and the stones sold.

History: the château was built at the request of Jean-Louis de Nogaret de La Valette (1554-1642), first Duke of Épernon. The château embodies the omnipotence of this cadet of Gascony, who became one of King Henry III's favourites before dying in disgrace at the age of 88 during the reign of Louis XIII, to whom he provided guards to found the first company of musketeers in 1622. In the 19th century, the château became a women's prison before being returned to the Ministry of Culture.

Current use: like a hundred other monuments owned by the State, it is managed, run and open to visitors by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.

Listed as: historic monument since 1862, then 1956.

Langoiran (Pop. 2,150)

Langoiran developed around its medieval castle, which was owned successively by the Seguin d'Escoussans and then the Montferrand families, who were known for their loyalty to the Duke of Aquitaine, the King of England. The town specialised in cooperage.

It is also the birthplace of Alain Giresse, a member of the "magic square" who, alongside Michel Platini, Luis Fernandez and Jean Tigana, his club mate at Girondins de Bordeaux, enjoyed great success with the French national football team in the 1980s. Winner of Euro 84, "Gigi", who compensated for his small stature (1.62 m) with outstanding technique, played 47 times for the French national team. He spent most of his career at Girondins before joining Olympique de Marseille in 1986. A coach since 1995, between 2004 and 2023 he managed the national teams of Georgia, Gabon, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia and Kosovo.

Château de Langoiran

Construction: 13th to 17th century.

Styles: Medieval and Renaissance.

History: it was built by the Seguin d'Escoussans family, loyal to the King of England, Duke of Aquitaine, and later passed to the Montferrand family, also supporters of the English monarchy against the French. Owned by the Daffis family until the 17th century, it then fell into ruin. Since 1972, the castle has been restored by the Friends of Langoiran Castle association.

Characteristics: it has a 14th-century cylindrical keep, one of the largest in France. It stands on a break in the slope, overlooking the plateau on the attack side, and is protected by a semi-circular moat linking the valley and the hollow, which form a natural defence on the other sides of the site. On the ground floor is the guard room with its enormous fireplace. On the first floor, there are still loopholes. Two frescoes dating from the construction of the keep can be seen here; one depicts Saint Michael, the other Saint Peter holding the keys to paradise. The second floor was the residence of the lord and his family, as well as his guests.

Listed as: Historic Monument since 1892. Splendid Cinema

Construction: 1948

Style: Art Deco.

Architect: André Lamire.

History: the cinema, built by Bordeaux architect André Lamire in a style similar to that of Le Corbusier with some Art Deco influence in its exterior colonnade, was inaugurated in 1945 and decommissioned in 1974. Now owned by the local council, the buildings are leased to an audio-visual production and distribution company, which is renovating the premises. While waiting for the cinema itself to be brought up to standard, musical and theatre performances are held about once a week in what used to be the foyer.

Listed as: listed building since 2002.

Cambes (Pop: 1,730)

Cambes was home to a curious hermitage, founded in 1523 by Jacques Peyron, Lord of Fouilloux-en-Arvert, who retired there for seven or eight years before becoming the keeper of the Black Prince's Tower, now the Cordouan lighthouse. The chapel was carved out of a pre-existing cave and covered with remarkable frescoes. At the entrance stood a statue of Saint Catherine, which has since disappeared. More or less abandoned, the hermitage was completely ruined in 1775. What remains of it has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1973. The Romanesque Church of Saint Martin, remodelled in the 19th century, is also listed as a Historic Monument.

Latresne (Pop: 3,520)

The commune of Latresne is home to Île d'Arcins, an island on the Garonne river that was long used by the INRA for agricultural research. Two kilometres long, it is now open to the public and crossed by footbridges on stilts, with small wooden huts scattered throughout a tropical-style forest. It can be reached in ten minutes by boat from Bordeaux.The beautiful Charterhouse of Valrose, a former 17th-century wine estate, is listed as a historic monument but is not open to visitors.

Floirac (Pop: 18,200)

A suburb of Bordeaux on the right bank of the Garonne, Floirac is at the centre of the Bordeaux-Euratlantique project, which is set to transform the urban area by 2030. The city is already home to the Arkea Arena, the largest performance venue in the region, designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti. Since its opening in 2018, the venue has already welcomed some of the world's biggest stars, including Depeche Mode, Elton John, Shakira, Sting, Clara Luciani and Vanessa Paradis.

Floirac is also home to the Bordeaux Observatory and a public park, Parc Castel, which surrounds the château of the same name, listed as a Historic Monument in 2021.

Floirac is also the birthplace of sailor Raphaël Dinelli, who was involved in accidents during his first two attempts at the Vendée Globe before completing two solo circumnavigations of the globe.

Bordeaux Observatory

Construction: 1878

History: the Bordeaux astronomical and meteorological observatory was created by decree in 1878, at the same time as those in Lyon and Besançon. Its foundation was entrusted to Georges Rayet, physicist and astronomer at the Paris Observatory from 1863 to 1874. Most of its activities are dedicated to astronomical measurements and the study of radio waves. Recently, it has conducted research on the Earth's atmosphere. To this end, it houses four telescopes, a 60 cm telescope and two radio telescopes. It also has a library containing the complete works of authors such as Copernicus, Galileo and Newton.

Listed as: Historic Monument since 2010.