- Bazas
French commune
nomcommune=Bazas
Bazas Cathedral
région=Aquitaine
département=Gironde
arrondissement=Langon
canton=Bazas
insee=33036
cp=33430
maire=Paul Marquette
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=Bazadais
longitude=-0.210555555556
latitude=44.4327777778
alt moy=56 m
alt mini=34 m
alt maxi=123 m
hectares=3,729
km²=37.29
sans=
date-sans=1999
dens=
date-dens=1999Bazas is a town and commune of the
Gironde department in southwesternFrance .Geography
Bazas stands on a narrow promontory above the
Beuve valley 60km/37mi southeast ofBordeaux and 40km/25mi southwest ofMarmande .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 toSt. 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 beenSt. 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, theBishop of Bazas bore the title of Bishop of Aire, Dax,Bayonne , Oloron andLescar .Pope Urban II (1088-99) preached the crusade at Bazas.Bazas was a "sous-préfecture" until 1923, when it lost this role to Langon.
ights
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: [http://infopuq.uquebec.ca/~uss1010/orgues/france/bazassjb2.jpg] ) 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.Economy
The vineyards of the vicinity produce white wine. The town carries on tanning and trade in the well-known Bazadais cattle.
External links
* [http://www.roquetaillade.eu Roquetaillade castle]
* [http://www.ville-bazas.fr/ Town council website]References
*
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02682a.htm Bordeaux]
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