La Bataille de Castillon

Every summer the local town of Castillon la Bataille presents a wonderful spectacle for the locals and tourists alike. It’s a reenactment of the final battle of the Hundred Years’ War between France and England on 17^th July 1453. Over 400  actors and 40 horses perform for an hour and half  on the hillside below the Chateau Castegens above the town on the river Dordogne. 

Chateau Castegens

the setting for the reenactment

The actual site of the battle is below on the river plain where there is a monument hidden in a field down a long country road, if you are inclined to search for it.

Castillon la Bataille township on the Dordogne river

There is a ‘village’ of marquees offering food, wine, games and other diversions, and a small army of volunteers to help the whole event run smoothly. We parked in the freshly mown field and wandered through the village crowded with families as the sun set. The performance doesn’t start until dark so the most can be made of lighting to set the scenes.

the usual market entertainers

not so sure about the use of boomerangs in 1453 France

your own personal battle figurines

one of the sets

On go the lights and we see the façade of a monastery and the arrival of a group of monks. The story is told of how the English came to rule the Aquitaine region.

the monastery set

Alienor of Aquitaine inherited the region, a very large piece of western France,  from her father as his only child. She was well educated , intelligent , beautiful and rich and was quickly married off to the soon to be king of France, Louis VII. Since they only had daughters  (unacceptable in those days for a royal ) he divorced her. Within weeks she married Henry , Duke of Normandy, soon to become king of England. Henry was eleven years younger than Alienor and they had eight children including 5 sons. You will have heard of one of the boys who came to be known as Richard the Lionheart. It was because of this marriage that Aquitaine became  English territory and stayed that way for 300 years. 

Alienor (Eleanor) was considered a great beauty
with her long curly red hair and natural grace.

The territory of Alienor's family
compared with the king of France

Naturally, those who ruled France during this period were not happy with the situation and eventually, through a series of battles and smaller actions , known as the Hundred Years’ War (actually 116 years) whittled away the territory under English rule until the final battle between the forces of John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and Jean Bureau, a commander of artillery, which was used most effectively at Castillon.

So, the scene is set. We have a monastery, lots of happy peasants going about their lives as they have for generations including attending the local market. Black pigs are transported in an authentic wooden wagon pulled by oxen, sheep are led in by their shepherd, boys are fishing in the pond, merchants are haggling with customers at their stalls. 

lots of dancing and merriment - a normal day in country France

everyone in wonderfully authentic costumes

As it is all done in french we didn’t understand all the details of the narration, but knowing the story we were able to follow the action. There were paths crisscrossing the hillside for the horses and soldiers and an army camp surrounded by a wooden barricade at the top to signify the french artillery site. Lots of explosions and fireworks during the battle and knights on horseback charging back and forth across the hill and down in front of our grandstand, all very dramatic. 

the english have arrived and the battle is on 

great fun for the performers on horseback

The organisers must have enlisted every teenager and his pony from the local pony clubs and they were all having a wonderful time charging about dressed as knights and waving their swords at each other, stirring music in the background.

the 'ghost' of the battle - the french can be very romantic about these things

the french celebrate everything with fireworks,
 and this was no exception.

the cast takes a bow

The whole performance finished with fireworks and rousing cheers from the audience. It was a great night out.



*** apologies for the quality of some of the photos , but flash was forbidden and it was very dark out there. Therefore I have "borrowed" some extra photos from the internet. 

Bonne semaine, mes amis