A little history
Miramont is a fortified ‘bastide’ town, founded by the English around 1278 or soon after. The defences were needed as the English and French fought over this region for centuries. But things stabilised from the mid 15th century, when the French finally reconquered the area. Up until this time the town had been known as Miramont-de-Lauzun, after the Pays de Lauzun area, whose principal town is Lauzun. Henceforth it became Miramont-de-Guyenne, after the historic name for the province. The first part of the town’s name refers to the fact that it looks (mire) towards a summit (mont) to the north.
The Church of Sainte-Marie is worth a visit for its stained glass. Built in 1860, the church had to be fully restored only a century later. The new church was inaugurated in the 1960s and eye-catching modern stained glass windows were installed by Karlsruhe artist, Emil Wachter, who used a pigment that has come to be known as ‘miramont blue’.