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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bazas enclosure is a collection of vestiges of urban fortifications located in the department of Gironde, in the municipality of Bazas. These vestiges, scattered around the city centre, include the Gisquet Gate, the Brèche Poterno, as well as the support walls of the cathedral and the public garden. The enclosure, built from the 13th century, married the contour of a triangular rocky spur, but largely disappeared since the 18th century.

The fortified town of Bazas is attested from the beginning of the fifth century, as evidenced by the Roman poet Paulin de Pella, who describes the siege of Bazas by the Wisigoths in 414, explicitly mentioning the walls of the city. The remaining ramparts, although losing their defensive role after the 17th century, continue to play a supportive role. The main preserved elements, such as the Gisquet Gate and the Breche Poterno, were listed as historical monuments in 1994.

In the 13th century, a medieval enclosure replaced or completed the wall of the Lower Empire, adapted to the triangular topography of the rocky spur. To the west, a straight wall was added to cut the junction with the neighbouring plateau. Remains of Gallo-Roman walls were also found in cellars along the northern route of the enclosure, confirming the long-standing fortifications.

The present, though fragmentary, remains offer a testimony of the various phases of construction, ranging from the Lower Empire to the modifications of the 19th century. Their registration in 1994 preserved these elements, now divided between communal and private properties. The enclosure thus illustrates the evolution of defensive techniques and urban adaptation throughout the centuries.

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