Rowanna's Travels Part 9: Saint Emilion
The
main reason for my last trip to France was to spend a week attending meetings
in Arcachon, a small town south west
of Bordeaux on the ocean. If you ever go to France, feel free to bypass
Arcachon. It’s a new town (built in the 1960’s) and looks a lot like any small
oceanside American town. For me, with my interests in history, it was a bit
painful to be in ‘modern day’ France. Luckily we had a minivan… There is a summer
Medieval Village de La Hume a Gujan-Mestras (like a Renaissance Pleasure Faire)
near Arcahon, on the only road into town. I didn’t get a chance to visit, but
the brochure looks interesting. This is another example of why you should always
travel with garb, it would have been great fun to pop by in personna. This village
is an hour or so drive from Saint Emilion.
From
the June issue of the Seraph, Newsletter of the Barony of Angels in the Kingdom
of Caid.
If
you only have a week to spend in France, spend it in Saint Emilion.
St
Emilion is a medieval walled city with its history going back to paleolithic
times, some of the famous ‘cave paintings‘ are close by. In the Gallo-Roman
period the area was populated by Celts and peoples of Hispano-Aquitanian origin.
Valerius Probus brought his legions here in 275-276, and had the forests cleared
to make the first commercial vineyards in the area. So St Emilion has been exporting
wines for a VERY long time. (They’re quite good – Trader Joe’s has a selection)
. After the “Pax populi romani” was swept away by the flood of Goths and Alanis
invading from the north, the region entered medieval times and had a ruling
family and a Benedictine monastery. Around 732 the Saracens invaded from the
south. They were pushed back with the help of the Franks, in the agreement that
Aquitaine would remain under Frankish leadership. In the 12th century the “Villa
de Sancto-Emiliano” was enclosed with thick, high walls two kilometers long,
with six gateways flanked by towers and with barbicans in front; in the center
on a cube-shaped outcrop of rock, isolated on all sides, a keep or citadel was
erected, from which a few armed men could take the enemy from the rear; a second,
inner rampart. The current day town still has the medieval street designs, with
lots of little alleyways and ‘crooks and crannies’. The town is still bustling,
there are plenty of shops and restaurants and bakeries. And of course many patios
and opportunities to drink wine and watch the world go by. Some of the sites
of St. Emilion include: the underground monuments and the trinity chapel; catecombs
and a church carved out of the limestone cliff. The belltower with it’s panoramic
view over the town. The view is worth the climb up the stairs (in part in the
dark). There is also a hamlet of “Villemaurine”, an observation post or POW
camp during the Saracens rule. There are cloisters (of course) and several beautiful
churches. A museum displays pottery from the area, mostly 13th – 19th century.
I plan to go back and spend more time in St. Emilion. Want to come?