Bazas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Commune of Bazas |
|
| Location | |
  |
|
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Aquitaine |
| Department | Gironde |
| Arrondissement | Langon |
| Canton | Bazas |
| Intercommunality | Bazadais |
| Mayor | Paul Marquette (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 34 m–123 m (avg. 56 m) |
| Land area¹ | 37.29 km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 33036/ 33430 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
 |
|
Bazas is a town and commune of the Gironde department in southwestern France.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Bazas stands on a narrow promontory above the Beuve valley 60km/37mi southeast of Bordeaux and 40km/25mi southwest of Marmande.
[edit] History
The town was the seat of a bishop from at least the beginning of the 6th century till 1790.
According to Gregory of Tours, Bazas had a bishop at the time of the Vandal invasion in the 5th century.
The dedication of the cathedral to St. John the Baptist is explained in an account given by the same historian that a lady of Bazas, whom certain hagiographers of the 19th century believe to have been St. Veronica, brought from Palestine a relic of St. John the Baptist at the time of that saint's death.
For 250 years prior to 1057, the Bishop of Bazas bore the title of Bishop of Aire, Dax, Bayonne, Oloron and Lescar.
Pope Urban II (1088-99) preached the crusade at Bazas.
Bazas was a sous-préfecture until 1923, when it lost this role to Langon.
[edit] Sights
The town has a Gothic cathedral dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries, now part of Unesco's heritage sights. There are remains of ramparts (15th and 16th centuries) and several old houses of the 16th century. (Photo:[1]) Saturday morning markets are well worth seeing. The area is also home to the Clementin Castles, built by Pope Clement V for himself and his family. You can visit around Bazas:
- Chateau de Roquetaillade
- Chateau de Villandraut
- Chateau de Fargues.
[edit] Economy
The vineyards of the vicinity produce white wine. The town carries on tanning and trade in the well-known Bazadais cattle.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. Bordeaux
 |
This Gironde geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
![[1]](http://infopuq.uquebec.ca/~uss1010/orgues/france/bazassjb2.jpg){kind=link}