Villeréal, a naturally authentic bastide at the gateway to the Périgord.
Built in just four years in the 13th century, the village has a regular ground plan that perfectly matches that of the Bastides. A hall of enormous dimensions was built in the central square with a floor of slats and muck. The church, a veritable fortress, dates from the 13th century. As you stroll through the narrow streets, you will discover half-timbered houses, houses with corbels and battlements, and old-fashioned enclosed gardens.In the north of Agenais, on the border with the Périgord, Count Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Saint-Louis, founded the bastide town of Villeréal in 1265, which was built in just four years. Like all new towns in the region in the Middle Ages, it adopted a grid design. A striking feature is the town’s large central square, where a hall of enormous dimensions rises, with a rare floor of masonry and daub, and the fortified church, set back from the centre and dedicated to trade.
Villeréal, the “king’s town” of France, which imposed its rights here against the English of Aquitaine, still displays its medieval buildings today: half-timbered and corbelled houses, and old-fashioned enclosed gardens. Classified as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, the bastide is very lively and hosts numerous events, always markets but also exhibitions, flea markets, concerts, bodegas, horse races, etc.
