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onjour!
This month, we would like to introduce you to Bordeaux, one of the great cities of France,
whose fame extends far beyond the European borders. Its name is synonymous with prestige as
it conjures up the exceptional wines so popular with connoisseurs. In this first newsletter
about Bordeaux, let’s learn about its very rich history.
But before continuing, please remember that you can access and read all the newsletters already
published at http://www.francemonthly.com/
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A Prosperous City
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When the Romans invaded Gaul in the 1st century BC, they eventually arrived in Burdigala
(which became Bordeaux), a city which was, and had been, very wealthy for several centuries
already. Indeed, its port operations had long since enabled it to develop a very profitable
international trade.
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The Garonne River and Bordeaux
(Click photo to enlarge)
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Dealings with London, Trier, Naples and several Spanish cities had made Burdigala not
only prosperous but also very open-minded about the world at large. The city’s Gallic
inhabitants, the Bituriges, were traders above all who had long understood that war
stood in the way of business. The Bituriges were also a very well-traveled people,
whose familiarity with foreign countries had made them open up to the outside world
and the unknown. Those are the two main reasons they gave the Romans a warm welcome
in 52 BC. They chose not to confront these potential invaders, although in so-doing,
they ignored the call to resistance from Vercingetorix, the leader of the Gauls. They
saw the Romans not as enemies, but on the contrary, as valued trade partners who were
bringing law and order to Europe.
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The Success of the Vine
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For quite a while already, the Bituriges had been trading with Italy, exchanging tin and grains,
among others, for olive oil and wine. So when the Romans successfully introduced vineyards into
the south of Gaul, the Bituriges, already wine connoisseurs, were convinced it was a worthy gamble
to do the same. They got involved in the wine growing adventure, but on the banks of the river
Garonne. This was a very daring move since the region was so marshy and seemed at first sight to
be such a poor fit. The first trials were not very impressive as the young vines succumbed to the
humidity. However, the Bituriges were well aware of what was at stake economically, and were not
discouraged. In the end, it turned out to be an Albanian grape variety that adapted itself the best
to the region’s mild oceanic climate and geological conditions. This ancestor of Cabernet went on
to flourish in the Bordeaux area and met with immediate success. In the year 92, Emperor Donatien
ordered half of the vines around the Garonne pulled out, and forbid the planting of any new ones
beyond the Alps, in an attempt to wipe out this new and menacing competition, but it was too late.
The impetus was given and this wine of exceptional quality had already built up a clientele. Wine
growing was to contribute forever more to the prosperity of Bordeaux and its region.
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Recipe for April 2007
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Chocolate Fondant
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A Double Rampart
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Like everywhere else in Gaul, the inhabitants of Burdigala were not spared the terrible barbarian invasions.
In 276, these eastern invaders crossed the country, pillaging everything in their wake. A divided and
completely disarmed Roman Gaul offered very little resistance in the face of such violent attacks.
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Bordeaux's Harbor
(Click photo to enlarge)
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The barbarians were able to pour into Bordeaux without a fight, as this trade town was completely open
to the outside world. More than half of the people of Bordeaux were massacred. Survivors were ordered
by the Roman emperor of Gaul to protect themselves. They built the city’s first great wall behind which
they would take refuge for the next seven centuries and do their best to resist the successive invasions
of the Vandals, Visigoths, Franks, Saracens and Vikings. The city was then only accessible through four
gates, one of which was a river gate. The ships entered the newly created interior port through a canal,
while 46 towers kept watch on the surrounding area. In time, the city’s profitable trade with England
brought it more wealth, and allowed it, little by little, to grow beyond its ramparts. In 1206, it was
decided a new rampart would be needed. It was completed in 1222. Bordeaux then covered between 32 and
41 hectares (70 to 100 acres), and was the only city other than Carcassonne to have a double rampart.
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The St Eloi Gate
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This second surrounding fortification consisted of a double great wall with six doors,
each one flanked by four or six towers.
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The St Eloi Gate
(Click photo to enlarge)
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Originally, one of its towers served as a prison where delinquents who had had one too many drinks
were locked up...Then over time, several changes were made. The St Eloi Gate became the city’s belfry
in the 15th century and a bell was added to it. The Big Bell came to regulate the inhabitants’ lives
and would ring in major events. These people were deeply upset when, in 1548, King Henri II had the
bell taken down as a punishment. They were then thrilled when it was restored 13 years later. In 1567,
another bell was put in, and replaced once again in 1759. Then, in the 18th century, it was time once
more to replace the old cracked bell. No less than 14 pairs of ox were needed to carry the biggest
civilian bell in France, which weighed 16,535 lbs. This magnificent gate, 135 ft tall and crowned with
a golden leopard-shaped weathervane, a left-over from the British period, beautifully calls to mind the
13th century, a time when it was essential for cities to protect themselves with defensive fortifications.
A symbol of freedom, the belfry and the Big Bell still appear on the Bordeaux coat of arms.
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The Cailhau Gate
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Starting in 1302, a third rampart was built that quadrupled the surface area of the city.
Among all the defensive gates that were part of this new great wall, the history of the
Cailhau Gate is particularly interesting.
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The Cailhau Gate
(Click photo to enlarge)
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It is named Cailhau after a wealthy Bordeaux family of the time, and is located near their residence.
Two centuries later, considered too far from the center of town and unworthy of a time when a city’s
prestige depended on its embellishment, this gate was demolished and replaced by a part Gothic, part
Renaissance style, triumphal arch. Topped with crenellation reminiscent of its original defensive
function, the structure was enhanced by a small corbelled turret with a conical roof pierced by
skylights and lanterns. Built in the axis of the Place du Palais, it became the gate of honor and
distinction through which all the kings and other dignitaries entered the city. In 1495, a statue
of King Charles VIII, victorious at the battle of Fornoue in Italy, was added to the entrance of
the gate. The people of Bordeaux dedicated the distinguished monument to their king not only to
congratulate him for his victory, but also---and mostly---to thank him for his authorization to
resume wine trading with England. It was their way of pledging their allegiance to France and
recognizing the power of the king of France.
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The Bridge of Stone |
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Before you get to the Cailhau Gate, you have to cross the river Garonne, a natural obstacle that
caught Napoleon off guard on his way to conquer Spain in 1807. His thousands of men and their
heavy military equipment had to cross this 1,640-ft wide river in ferry boats, while taking
into account the considerable currents and tidal ranges. Indeed, despite the roughly 60 miles
that separate Bordeaux from the Atlantic Ocean, the variation in water level can reach more
than 16 ft in between tides. The emperor was very displeased to have lost so many days trying
to get his soldiers and their heavy equipment across in those ferries, and so he decided to
build a bridge. But the disastrous occupation of Spain and the lack of financial resources
postponed the completion of the first bridge of Bordeaux, the Bridge of Stone, which was not
inaugurated until 1822. Nonetheless, while this work was ongoing, it also contributed in an
indirect and unexpected way to the city’s fame: The emperor was aware of lithography, invented
in Germany, and had been using this new technique to reproduce the construction drawings of the
bridge. A calligrapher from Bordeaux who was wandering on the construction site then discovered it,
and had the idea of using lithography to print Bordeaux wine bottle labels. And that remains the
case today!
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The Chartrons Neighborhood
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The Chartreux monks, driven out of their monastery in neighboring Périgord in the 14th century
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Wood Barrels in Chartrons' Cellars
(Click photo to enlarge)
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found refuge in a marshy and uninhabited area right next to Bordeaux. They felt safe,
sheltered in the vicinity of this large wealthy city, where they were able to enjoy
the requisite calm and solitude of their monastic life. Although they left this area
at the end of the Hundred Years War, the part of town that grew outside the city’s
walls around their monastery was named for them, ‘les Chartrons’. It was at this very
same spot that, in the 17th century, merchants from Flanders, Germany, England and
Ireland came to set up their own businesses. Once the marshes were drained, it became
the ideal place to settle down and develop a very successful wine business. As it was,
anyone entering or leaving the city of Bordeaux with goods had to pay a tax, but the
Chartrons neighborhood was at the time outside the city limits. And so it was in this
area, alongside the Garonne, that the shopkeepers did their assemblage (blending wines
of the same vintage) and stocked their bottles. The merchants lived on site, having
built identical houses all with their fronts facing the Garonne (eastward) and with
interior courtyards. They lived on the second floor to get away from the dampness.
The reception rooms of these houses allowed for good wine tasting conditions. While
the women ran the businesses in Bordeaux, their spouses were on the road promoting
the region’s wines.
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An Invitation to Travel... |
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Bordeaux is an essential destination for those who wish to understand the British influence
on the European mainland. It is located about 342 miles southwest of Paris, 45 minutes from
the Atlantic Ocean and 2 hours from Spain by car. This city has splendid monuments, floodlit
squares, developed river banks, charming gardens, and a downtown where modern and past times
stand side by side in harmony and elegance. Bordeaux is also without a doubt the world capital
of wine. We recommend that you stop at the “wine bar” located across from the Bordeaux tourist
information office, to attend your first oenology class or just taste the very fine wines of
Bordeaux offered there at very reasonable prices.
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