Blaye (; oc, Blaia ) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

and

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...

in the

Gironde Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,62 ...

department in

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by t ...

in southwestern France. For centuries, Blaye was a particularly convenient crossing point for those who came from the north and went to

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

or further south, to Spain and Portugal. Fortified since antiquity, this eminently strategic site located on the bank of a large river, was modernized at the end of the 17th century, thanks to Vauban. In 1685, the ''Commissaire general des fortifications'' of Louis XIV proposed the construction of a real lock on the

in order to "take control of the river" and to hold Bordeaux in case of a revolt. It is then that the citadel of Blaye was built, constituting the major element of the estuary control system. Dominating the urban landscape, this imposing building has been listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

since 2008, as part of a group of structures engineered by Vauban, in testimony to their global influence on military architecture and planning over the next few centuries.

Population

Its inhabitants are called ''Blayais'' or ''Blayaises'' in French.

Geography

Blaye is located on the right bank of the

Gironde estuary The Gironde estuary ( , US usually ; french: estuaire de la Gironde, ; oc, estuari de aGironda, ) is a navigable estuary (though often referred to as a river) in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Gar ...

(which is some wide at this point), close to the A10 autoroute, north of

. There is a rail line with occasional freight trains, but no passenger services. A small ferry crosses the Gironde to Lamarque, in Medoc.

History

In ancient times Blaye (''Blavia'') was a port of the

Santones The Santoni or Santones ( grc, Σαντόνων, Σάντονες) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the later region of Saintonge during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name These people are noted as ''Santonum'', ''Santonos'' and ''Santoni ...

. Tradition states that the

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

hero

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

was buried in its basilica, which was on the site of the citadel. It is an important location in the epic ''

Jourdain de Blaye (sometimes modernised ) is an Old French ''chanson de geste'' written in decasyllables around 1200. It is an adventure story, largely inspired by the ancient story of Apollonius of Tyre. It survives in a single manuscript. The original was never ...

''. Blaye was early an important stronghold which played an important part in the wars against the English (who burnt it in 1352) and the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estim ...

(when it was the site of a Spanish naval victory in 1593). The

duchess of Berry Duke of Berry (french: Duc de Berry) or Duchess of Berry (french: Duchesse de Berry) was a title in the Peerage of France. The Duchy of Berry, centred on Bourges, was originally created as an appanage for junior members of the French royal fami ...

was imprisoned in its fortress in 1832–1833. The town was formerly named Blaye-et-Sainte-Luce and was renamed ''Blaye'' in June 1961.

Sights

The town has a citadel built by Vauban on a rock beside the river, which contains the ruins of a medieval castle,

Château des Rudel The Château des Rudel is a château in Blaye, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas region ...

(''fr''), and the ruins of

Basilica of Saint-Romain The Basilica of Saint-Romain, Blaye, was an important Merovingian basilica, the resting-place of Charibert II, a son of Clotaire II who was briefly king of Aquitaine from 629 to his death in 632, and of his son. According to the 12th-century ''Cha ...

, which holds the tomb of

Charibert II Charibert II (607/617–8 April 632), a son of Clotaire II and his junior wife Sichilde, was briefly King of Aquitaine from 629 to his death, with his capital at Toulouse. There are no direct statements about when Charibert was born exactly, ...

king of Aquitaine The Duchy of Aquitaine ( oc, Ducat d'Aquitània, ; french: Duché d'Aquitaine, ) was a historical fiefdom in western, central, and southern areas of present-day France to the south of the river Loire, although its extent, as well as its name, fluc ...

, and son of

Clotaire II Chlothar II, sometime called "the Young" ( French: le Jeune), (May/June 584 – 18 October 629), was king of Neustria and king of the Franks, and the son of Chilperic I and his third wife, Fredegund. He started his reign as an infant under the r ...

. Nearby,

Fort Paté Fort Paté is a round, tower-like Vauban fort on Paté Island in the Gironde estuary, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It, with its twin Fort Médoc on the mainland and the citadel of Blaye, protected Bordeaux from attack by sea. With them, it wa ...

, on an island in the river, and

Fort Médoc Fort Médoc is a fort built by Vauban, nearby Cussac-Fort-Médoc, in Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The earthworks were started in 1689 and construction of the fort itself in 1691. The fort was an element of the "lock" intended to prote ...

on its left bank, also of the 17th century, completed Vauban's defenses of the water approaches of Bordeaux . The citadel of Blaye, its city walls,

and

(the latter in nearby

Cussac-Fort-Médoc Cussac-Fort-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Fort Médoc in Cussac-Fort-Médoc, together with several buildings in nearby Blaye, was listed in 2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as p ...

) were listed in 2008 as

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

, as part of the "

Fortifications of Vauban A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

" group.

Economy

Blaye has a small river-port, mainly used for grain exports. Fine red wine is produced in the district, in the

AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...

Côtes de Blaye. A large nuclear power station with four reactors is located nearby.

Education

Several schools are located in Blaye. Public schools include the following: * École Maternelle Pierre Bergeon * École Maternelle Lucien Grosperrin * École Elementaire Pierre Malbeteau * École Elementaire Andre Vallaeys

Legal institutions

The town has tribunals of first instance and of commerce.

Twin towns — sister cities

Blaye is twinned with: *

Măcin Măcin () is a town in Tulcea County, in the Northern Dobruja region of Romania. Location Măcin is located in the north-western part of the Northern Dobruja region, in Tulcea County. The city is located at the intersection of the DN22 ( E87) ...

References

External links

Town council website
(in French)

(in French)

{{Authority control Communes of Gironde Subprefectures in France Santones Guyenne