The history of bastides

There are many reasons to come to our beautiful corner of France, amongst them the opportunity to see some of the most remarkable bastides in the whole country. More than 700 years after their construction, these villages remain exceptional examples of architecture.

Today there are between 300 and 400 bastides throughout France, those in Perigord both founded by the English and French.

The typical model of these villages comprises 2 major axes with a number of parallel and perpendicular paths to them. Every bastide includes a central square and contours (sometimes ramparts) which are also geometric in their layout. Unlike traditional villages which grow organically through generations, Bastides come very much ‘fully formed’ from the outset.

 A little history...

In the Middle Ages, many bastides "nova bastida" (new cities) were built in a period of peace and prosperity, and mark a significant break from the medieval city organized around a castle, abbey or a church. Bastides themselves were amongst the first planned urban areas in Europe, their founders influenced by the great urban planning movement of Europe in the 13th century.
Indeed, in 1226, France already had 16 million inhabitants and 20 million by 1345 , against just 2 million in England. Following the growth in population across much of Europe, the construction of the bastides responded to political, economic, military and security objectives – not least the crusade against the Albigenses and Franco-English antagonism. A climate of insecurity, political and economic backwardness plagued much of the country, and so bastides were built on defensive sites – often at the edge of rivers or important road intersections.

From a political and economic standpoint, bastides required their poblans (those who lived there from the outset) to pay taxes to the owner of the grounds for the rent of their house, garden or arable land. The landlords so generated a substantial income both from their tenants and stall holders at the markets and fairs in Bastides (which were held once or twice a year), and additionally from visitors who had to pay royalties for the privilege of selling their wares.

Whether English or French founded, bastides became important pawns in military strategy, the zones between each a cause of constant tension.

In Périgord, the first bastide was Villefranche du Périgord which was built in 1261, the last that of Saint-Barthélémy in 1316. In 150 years, nearly 400 bastides were created in the south of France, between them covering an area of about 50 000m² (125 acres) - though the outbreak of the Hundred years war in 1337 brought an end to their construction. Like Monpazier, those that have survived since remain important historical landmarks, and a testament to the skills of their builders.