Photo via Wikipedia
Ah, with style; the French do it with such style.
I live in a new town. Built since the 1950’s, to accommodate Londoners after the war, it was designed as a little Utopia, a place where communities thronged around small community centres filled with shops and leisure spaces. It has moments of futuristic flare; but many of the ideas used in the creating of the new town have proved more wishful than practical. The town is fading, its leadership weak and wobbly; half the centre has been closed for demolision pending a regeneration which has been trying ineffectually to happen for the last two decades. There is no date set for anything to be built in its place.
It is a bit of a damp squib.
Another set or new towns was built once. And now they are very, very old towns.
It was in the days when England was ruled by the Angevins. And whole swathes of the south east of France could just as well be ruled by a French as an English king.
Well, in those days, that part of France was a frontier. A wilderness, a barren waiting land. And France took one look at its ragged edges and the English aquisitorial streak, and she said to herself: that land needs colonising properly.
Properly being the operative word. It was no use letting people trickle into the wildreness and build speculative little farmsteads because the English would have those as soon as look at them. To colonise Gascony, and Languedoc, and Aquitaine, they needed structured towns which could defend themselves.
So Raymond VII of Toulouse got permission under the 1229 Treaty of Paris to build. He was not allowed to fortify, but just to create organised towns.
And build he did. They were called Bastides; exquisite eye candy for the mediaeval historian. Built on a grid system, with a central square, some say they were influenced by the port the crusaders used to leave from – Aigues Mortes – and some cite the Islamic tradition of having a central square.
Whatever the source, they are stunning. Incredible. And one day I shall trail along and visit a goodly number of the 5-700 new towns which have survived some seven hundred years.
It is said that the Gascons have a propensity to brag. So much so that their swanking tirades have become an etymological joke in France and England.
They call a good, hearty brag a gasconade.
But had I a place like that, with its climate and a land colonised by new towns which have lasted many centuries: why, I would be bragging too.
Written in response to Side View’s challenge, Gasconnade, which you can find here
Kate Shrewsday 
That region of France is amazing 🙂
It is. Hard to think of it as frontier country!
Agreed. I’d be bragging too. Well done.
They did an excellent job, didn’t they, Tandy?
Wonderful picture. I really need to do a trip around some of the bastides. I visited some in my youth, such as Cordes sur Ciel, but was too busy enjoying myself to absorb much about the towns themselves.
Definitely time for another trip, Roger.
They definitiely owning the gasconading rights to that one Kate. Sorry to hear about your own town but remember cycles, it will cycle.
It probably will. Tandy, though thoughts of regeneration were on the cards when I was a young cub reporter in the town, 20 years ago or so. Leadership is all, I fear.
But if the bragging is for real accomplishments…….
I brag about a country I was born into all the time, Sidey. I didn’t achieve any of the castles or houses or stories I boast!
But they are THERE! I thought Gasconade was false bragging
Well, quite! My whole entire point! 😀 All these years they have been blaming the Gascons for bragging, and the poor Gascons have just been telling the unvarnished truth! How fair is that?
wonderfully unjust!
Reading this makes me that more excited about wandering through France this Fall. I especially want to go to places my sweetie has not been so that, together, we can take it something ‘new’ to both of us. Such a beautiful country to explore and sometimes I wonder will we ever leave?
I have a struggle every time I have to leave, Jos. And Roger simply didn’t: http://stowell.wordpress.com
and so would I, be bragging… very nice exposition for that (apparently not) impossible word prompt, Kate 😉
It was quite a tall order this week, wasn’t it, Ruth! Last one to Gascony is a rotten egg!
I am definitely putting this part of France on my list, Kate.
You and me both, Andra!
Somethings are worth crowing about! We could take a page of their book. 😀
I should show the people of my town these new towns, shouldn’t I, Nancy?
Oh, how wonderful, Kate. I hope you visit a few of the 700 soon so we can all read about it.
I would love to go and see them, Penny. Let’s see what can be done.
Regentrification is not always lasting. I hope your town can retain some of its charm during the revamping.
That fortress, however, does look strong enough to withstand the onslaught of modernization. Thank you for sharing, Kate.
Alas, charm is not a thing my town has ever possessed, Judy; too many roundabouts for that. I think we should have a bastide.
Another place for my list of places I’d like to see. The more you write, the longer the list grows.
Your English tour awaits; and you will need to include the Angevin empire too, it seems, Kathy! 😀
I must say I like the idea of being able to be proud of one’s place of birth or adopted home. I don’t really think of it as bragging, but of finding the elements that make it special. Every place has something, I think. Of course, not all is equal. This particular French region sounds particularly noteworthy. Great use of “THE” word this week, Kate. I love to see what you come up with!
Debra, I have just re-read this after posting a piece on the Roman Genius Loci, the spirits of place. How right you are.
This region of France is gorgeous; I’ve been lucky enough to travel and visit many of these charming cities (since I live much too far away from all this history). Isn’t the one you have pictured Carcassonne? It was one of our favorite regions because of the rolling hills and warm atmosphere. It’s fascinating to think of living within the battlement, since it appeared that some people still did when we were there.
A brag-art is an art form from Gascony, therefore?