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Wikipedia / Libourne

Libourne (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.

It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.

History

Like other sites at the confluence of important rivers, that of Libourne was appropriated at an early period. Under the Romans a stood rather more than a mile to the south of the present Libourne; it was destroyed during the troubles of the 5th century. Resuscitated by Charlemagne, it was rebuilt in 1269, as Leybornia, and was founded as a bastide by Roger de Leybourne (of Leybourne, Kent), an English seneschal of Gascony, under the authority of King Edward I of England. It suffered considerably in the struggles of the French and English for the possession of Gironde in the Hundred Years' War, and joined France in the 15th century.

In 1787 the parlement of Bordeaux was exiled to Libourne amid political crises.

In December 1854 John Stuart Mill passed through Libourne, remarking "I stopped at Libourne as I intended & had a walk about it this morning quite the best thing there is the bridge of the Dordogne, the view from which is really fine".

Sights

The Gothic church, restored in the 19th century, has a stone spire high. On the quay there is a machicolated clock-tower which is a survival of the defensive walls of the 14th century.

The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1427.

There is also a statue of Élie, duc Decazes, who was born in the region.

Geography

Libourne is located at the confluence of the Isle and Dordogne rivers. Libourne station has rail connections to Bordeaux, Bergerac, Angoulême, Périgueux, Limoges, Brive-la-Gaillarde and Sarlat-la-Canéda.

Population

Gallery

Notable people

See also

References