Discovering the Bastide of Geaune

Join us for a short walk and a coffee or lunch in the charming little fortified town of Geaune ! Located in the Tursan region, amidst the vineyards, it's a place with old-world charm, one of the new towns founded in the Middle Ages (1318), laid out according to a well-organized plan with a central arcaded square ideal for commerce. Let's go!

A typical bastide town, a new city!

Between Bordeaux and the Pyrenees, Geaune was a fortified town with reinforced gates to protect its 25 plots of houses and shops, separated by perfectly straight, perpendicular streets. They were well-organized back then! At 12 hectares, it's a very small bastide, but ideally located so that its central square, which hosts the market (held every other Thursday morning), is lively and bustling.

In the central square, you can see covered arcades. Whether you visit the large bastides of Aquitaine or this charming bastide in Tursan, the architectural principle remains the same: the ground floors are dedicated to commerce, serving as shops or workshops, while the upper floors house the living quarters. Even today, the bastide still boasts a few shops and some friendly cafes and restaurants.

You can pick up a map of Geaune at a tourist office to explore its main heritage sites. You'll pass by the Church of Saint John the Baptist, built in the 15^th century, on the outskirts of town—no, it's no longer in the center! This is the main difference between older villages and bastides: religious power is somewhat removed from the center. The church was restored in the 19^th century after suffering damage. The Maltese Tower is another substantial building, believed to predate the construction of the new town. The Medieval Garden lies at the foot of the Augustinian convent, distinguished by its tall, 25-meter-high bell tower. It's worth noting that it now serves as a school.

The Tursan wine region

Geaune is located amidst the vineyards of the Tursan wine region. You can also visit the Tursan Winegrowers' Cooperative to learn more. This cooperative promotes the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), supports winegrowers, and manages the wine's marketing. You can participate in tastings to discover their wines. Viticulture in the region dates back to the Middle Ages. Tursan wine has withstood vine diseases and is appreciated as far away as England, Spain, and the Netherlands.

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