Having provided the reader with some details on our home and
our experiences here in France, it is now time to start looking at where we
live. The towns and sites of our particular region of France carry a strong history
and culture that is often not seen in the big cities like Paris. We will now
provide a background on our region starting with the towns and site within it.
To begin, we live in Port Sainte Foy et Ponchapt (the full
and correct name), which is a small town based on the north side of the
Dordogne River. Sainte Foy la Grande is the main town and it lies on the southern
side of the river about 200 metres from our house.
Sainte Foy (pronounced “fwa”) is in the Department of the
Gironde while Port Ste Foy is in the Dordogne Department. Both Departments are
part of the Aquitaine region of France based in the South West with its capital
being Bordeaux.
Sainte Foy is located on the D936 Road around 1 hour due East
of Bordeaux and about 25 minutes west of Bergerac. If you look at Google Maps,
you can see exactly where Ste Foy and Port Ste Foy are located.
 |
| The general region with Ste Foy to the right of the marked circle |
 |
| The Departments of Aquitaine - The Gironde is bright yellow and the Dordogne is palest yellow to the right |
The Dordogne (very popular with “les Anglais”) is
a varied department which encompasses, some wine area, but is more
predominantly agricultural. It also includes the famed Vezere Valley where
there remains a host of pre-historic sites including the Lascaux caves. The
department has a diverse architectural style ranging from basic single story “Charentais
style” houses in the west to more “Perigourdian” structures in the East of the
Department. Perigourdian reflect the Departmental capital of Perigueux and is represented
by more than one level and with a steep sloping roof to allow for the snow not
to build up too much on the roof. The Dordogne takes in towns such as
Perigueux, Bergerac, Brantome, Riberac, Chalais, Montignac and Sarlat.
The Gironde on the other hand is a department of
rolling hills and “Bastide” towns that played a vital role during the “100 Years
war” between France and England. Most of the Gironde and other parts of
Aquitaine were considered more a part of England than France in medieval times with
English kings (such as Henry II who married Eleanor of Aquitaine and inherited
much of the region and his son Richard I or Richard the Lionheart). The
department today is predominantly a wine producing area and includes Bordeaux
and the fine vineyards of the Medoc region. A Bastide town was effectively a “structured
and defensive town built around a church and a market square. Often grid style
but sometimes circular, these towns were the places that many locals would head
to whenever there was a fear of a major conflict during the 100 years war. Many
bastides were built on hilltops to provide them with a strategic advantage of
being easier to defend, but also in a strong position to see approaching enemy
forces.
So that is just a little about the overall region. Let’s now
look a bit more specifically at some of the towns and sites, starting with our
home town of Sainte Foy la Grande.
Sainte Foy la Grande was founded in 1255 by Alphonse of
Poitiers and is a rectangular grid-style walled bastide and typical of many
bastide towns. The walls are no longer standing although some of the original
buildings are. Ste Foy was a strategic centre and known as the gateway to the
Perigord. Being based on the river, it was a prominent port town supplying wine
and tobacco downstream to Bordeaux, from where much of the produce found its
ways to England as the famed “Claret” favoured by English aristocracy. The
actual port for the town was what is now known as Port Ste Foy as it is on the deep
water side of the river.
 |
| Our Coat of Arms |
 |
| Sainte Foy and the main Square |
Ste Foy was regarded as a centre of education and learning
and as a result carried some influence during the late middle ages.
Today one can wander through the narrow streets of Ste Foy
and find half-timbered homes, the remains of an old “Templar” church as well as
the protestant temple. The old covered market remains today, although it is no
longer in the centre of town. The local Tourism Office occupies an old building
with a lovely “towered” dovecote which adds to the medieval appearance.
 |
| Some typical architecture |
While the town no longer prospers or exerts any great
influence, it is highly regarded as having one of the best marches or markets
in all of France. On a Saturday morning particularly during spring and summer,
the town is very much alive with fresh food, music and the vibrant feel of a
market town. Today a number of shops have closed down due to a significant retail
development with a large hypermarket and other shops just out of town and this
has eroded the retail trade to some extent for the town itself. None the less,
there is still a significant presence of café’s and other retail shops.
 |
| From the air with Ste Foy on the right and Port Ste Foy on the left |
Sainte Foy is a sound base for exploring the Gironde or the
Dordogne and many towns can be found within a 60 minute drive for the town. Hope to see you soon.
