Description:

Bastide towns were the "New Towns" of the medieval times and were built on a grid system with a central square.  Most were built in the ancient provinces of Languedoc, Gascony and Aquitaine during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, although there is still debate about Montauban being the first bastide, which was built in 1144.

They were built to improve the security and safety of the residents, but also to promote the extended use of the lands by providing benefits such as tax exemption.  Farmers that chose to move to the new towns were given their freedom from the local Lord and it signalled the decline of feudalism.  In return, the Lords could tax the dwellings in the town and all trade in the market.

The exact definition of a bastide is in some debate but is generally described as any town planned and built as a single unit by a single founder.  The majority have a grid layout of intersecting roads and a central market square, although some of the "squares" are actually circular.  They were not fortified when originally built, although the church very often was, but many acquired fortifications at a later date, especially during the Hundred Years War between the English and the French.

Although some were destroyed in wars, many have retained their original layout, while others have lost the original layout or been completely absorbed into to larger towns.  The majority are to be found in the Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, Gers, Haute-Garonne departments and many are listed as Plus Beaux Villages de France.

Some of the more interesting bastides to visit are;

Lot: Rudelle
Aveyron: Sauveterre de Rouergue, Villeneuve d'Aveyron, Villefranche de Rouergue
Ariège: Mirepoix
Haute Garonne: Villefranche-de-Lauragais
Gers: Cologne
Tarn: Cordes-sur-Ciel

List of Bastide towns in the Midi-Pyrenees:

Ariège

Campagne-sur-Arize, La Bastide-de-Bousignac, La Bastide-de-Sérou, Mazères, Mirepoix, Rimont.

Aveyron

La Bastide-l'Évêque, Najac, Réquista, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Villeneuve-d'Aveyron.

Haute-Garonne

Aignes, Alan, Beauchalot, Blajan, Bouloc, Boulogne-sur-Gesse, Boussens, Calmont, Carbonne, Cazeres, Fonsorbes, Gaillac-Toulza, Grenade-sur-Garonne, Labastide-Beauvoir - Labastide-Clermont, Lavelanet-de-Comminges, Lestelle-de-Saint-Martory, Le Burgaud, Le Fousseret, Nailloux, Montastruc-la-Conseillère, Montréjeau, Palaminy, Plaisance-du-Touch, Revel, Rieumes, Saint-Félix-Lauragais, Saint-Lys, Saint-Sulpice-sur-Lèze, Villefranche-de-Lauragais.

Gers

Avensac, Barcelonne-du-Gers, Barran, Bassoues, Beaumarchés, Bretagne-d'Armagnac, Castéra-Verduzan, Cologne, Fleurance, Fources, Gimont, Jegun, Labastide-Savès, Lannepax, Marciac, Masseube, Mauvezin, Miélan, Mirande, Monguilhem, Montreal-du-Gers, Pavie, Plaisance, Saint-Clar, Sarrant, Seissan, Solomiac, Valence-sur-Baïse.

Lot

Beauregard, Bretenoux, Castelfranc, Castelnau-Montratier, Cazals, Fons, Labastide-du-Haut-Mont, Labastide-du-Vert, Labastide-Marnhac, Labastide-Murat, Les Vitarelles, Montcabrier, Montfaucon, Orgueil, Puybrun, Rudelle.

Hautes-Pyrénées

Avezac-Prat-Lahitte, Castelbajac, Galan, Lannemezan, Lubret-Saint-Luc, Montgaillard, Peyrouse, Rabastens-de-Bigorre, Saint-Martin, Sère-Rustaing, Saint-Sever-de-Rustan, Tournay, Trie-sur-Baïse, Vidalos.

Tarn

Arthès, Castelnau-de-Lévis, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Lisle-sur-Tarn, Pampelonne, Réalmont, Saint-Urcisse, Técou, Valence-d'Albigeois.

Tarn-et-Garonne

Angeville, Beaumont-de-Lomagne, Castelsarrasin, Montauban, Monclar-de-Quercy, Montech, Négrepelisse, Valence d'Agen, Verdun-sur-Garonne.

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