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’.
Bastide towns
The ‘bastides’ are semi-fortified towns which were built in the Middle Ages to bring a disparate rural population together for community and protection. Typical features are a covered marketplace in the central square, surrounded by arched arcades, and streets in a grid pattern.
As well as Miramont-de-Guyenne, there are plenty of other bastide towns to discover nearby, in the Lot-et-Garonne and also over the border in the Dordogne, including Eymet, Castillonnès, Villeréal, Issigeac, Monflanquin, Monpazier.
To understand the importance of these towns, visit the ‘Musée des Bastides’ in Monflanquin which tells the history behind the bastides, why they were built, their social and political impact.
Markets
A weekly market takes place every Monday morning in Miramont, and there are markets in other towns in the area on other days so you will always be able to buy fresh local produce to cook up something delicious. In the high summer, there are often night markets in this area, where locals and visitors alike congregate. Everyone buys food from the various stalls and sits at large tables, enjoying the music and atmosphere.
Family fun
There are tennis courts in Miramont, and horse riding and bicycle hire nearby. And Bergerac (35km) has plenty to entertain children and teenagers, including a water park, go-karting, ten-pin bowling and mini-golf. You can explore the River Dordogne in a canoe or kayak, or, a more relaxing and drier option, join a boat trip in a traditional flat-bottomed ‘gabarre’.
