Issue No. 13

SPotligHt on BLAYE
spotlight on blaye
Aquitaine
J Christina visits the historic town of
Blaye, it might be small but it packs a
mighty historic punch
The Aquitaine region straddles a
prominent position in southwest France. It
stretches long and lean against the French
Atlantic coastline, reaching up to the
Pyrénées mountain range and
transcending to the Spanish border. Here
in the Gironde department, intrepid
travellers can scamper to the summit of
storybook castles, cycle through vineyardlaced
countryside, walk through ancient
villages and sip world-renowned wines.
And it’s here that curious visitors will
discover the douceur de vivre in a tiny onekilometer
long settlement, once named
Blaye-et-Sainte-Luce…
Let me introduce you to Blaye, a petite but
mighty hamlet, sitting at the southern tip of
the Gironde estuary formed by the
confluences of the nearby Dordogne and
Garonne rivers. Blaye is an ancient and
powerful settlement from medieval times,
where the Citadel of Blaye and its military
fortifications sit majestically over the
waters of western Europe’s largest estuary.
La Citadelle De Blaye, a medieval fortress,
along with Fort Médoc and Fort Paté,
formed a military defence system during
the 18th and 19th centuries to protect the
downstream port of Bordeaux from sea
invasions and wars. It is a legendary
example of engineering genius and
Romanesque architecture designed and
built by Vauban, the engineer of Louis XIV
who left his mark throughout France. It’s a
picture postcard town, with scarred
ramparts that bear witness to battles and
conflict through this historic maritime
route.
Nowadays, we find the citadel is a living
monument, where inside the bastion, a
maze of cobblestone streets, stone houses,
artisan shops, cafes and wine shops, still
thrive.