St Emilion

St Emilion is built on the side of a limestone plateau overlooking the Dordogne and is surrounded by some of the most famous vineyards in the world.

Tiny cobbled streets link picturesque squares, and the distinctive honey-coloured stone makes St Emilion a beautiful town, but also a magnet for visitors.

In the 8th century a hermit from Brittany, Emilion, settled in a cave that contained a natural spring. Over the next 500 years this cave was hollowed and enlarged and is now the largest monolithic church in France (hollowed from a single rock).

This amazing chapel overlooks the main square and culminates in a spire that soars more than 200 feet.

Another memorable part of St Emilion is the role played by the Jurade. Members of the Jurade were appointed by the Town council to maintain the quality of St Emilion wines.

Each autumn they would declare the grapes ripe for harvest and in spring they meet to decide whether the previous vintage gets their prestigious seal of excellence. The Jurade was resurrected in 1948, and although they may look a trifle absurd marching through the town in their ermine-trimmed scarlet cloaks, they still wield enormous influence.

In 1996 St Emilion played host to a stage of the Tour de France. If you ever manage to figure out how they cycled through St Emilion I'd love to know