La Réole

Sister cities

• Sacile
• Oliveira do Douro

History

There is evidence of a Roman villa, La Pontesa, with an adjoining cemetery which has been dated to be from the 3rd or 4th century. There were other Roman villas nearby. At this time in the region, there were Roman buildings every 1500 metres or so. Evidence of later dwellings on the La Pontesa site show that it was inhabited between the 7th and 8th centuries. Nineteen sarcophaguses and funeral articles have been found on this site. La Réole grew up round a monastery founded in the 7th or 8th century, which was reformed in the 11th century and took the name of Regula, hence that of the town. During the Middle Ages, La Réole was a royal town, administered by six jurats (pre-revolution municipal officers), who were elected by the town's bourgeois. The law was upheld in the name of the King. During the War of Saint-Sardos in 1324, the most stubborn resistance against the repossession of Aquitaine was put up by the Earl of Kent in La Réole. For a significant period of time, La Réole was the second most important town of Guyenne, after Bordeaux. Twice during the 17th century in 1678 and 1690, Bordeaux's parliament was exiled to La Réole.

Geography

La Réole is located on the right (northern) bank of the Garonne River, with the southern part forming the hamlet of Rouergue. The town centre sits on a rocky spur overlooking the river. It lies southeast of Bordeaux by rail. La Réole station has rail connections to Agen, Langon and Bordeaux. The municipality covers an area of 1,250 hectares, which is smaller than average for the department of Gironde.