Aquitaine
Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux, the Big Bell
Bordeaux has about 245 000 inhabitants in 2007, and an agglomeration of 1 000 000. The city was universally famous for its vineyards, for several centuries. A part of the city, the port of the Moon (Le Port de la Lune), is classified since June 2007 by UNESCO.
History of Bordeaux
From the middle-ages, Bordeaux was the ancient capital of the Guyenne duchy. But, it was yet an important place of trade during the Roman times, it declined then, and was many times plundered by invasions, conquered by Charles Martel in 735.
In the XIIth century, Aliénor of Aquitaine, former wife of Louis VII, married with Henry II Plantagenêt in 1154. So, Aquitaine (Guyenne) became English, it will remain as it during three centuries. In the XIIIth century Bordeaux became prosperous again thanks to the trade of the wine with England.
From 1362 to 1372, under the reign of the Black Prince, Bordeaux becomes capital of a transitory independent state.
With the battle of Castillon in 1453, French seizes definitively the city and the One hundred Years War ends. The city was hostile towards the French supervision, it lost its prosperity. In 1462, the king Louis XI gave back a part of its autonomy to Bordeaux.