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When: 18 Jul - 16 Aug 2008; Fri and Sat only (annual)
Where: Castillon La Bataille
Cost: €16-€20; concessions €9; under 5s free
Opening Hours: From 6pm
The Bataille de Castillon Show brings history to life.
Each year throughout July and August, Bergerac's Bataille de Castillon is the scene of a spectacular son et lumière show, re-enacting the historical battle which took place between the French and the English during the Hundred Years War.
Aquitaine had belonged to the English crown for three centuries. In 1453, bouyed by the recent successes of Joan of Arc, French king Henry VII decided to reconquer the lands. With the aid of some newly invented rolling cannons - and no doubt helped by the fact that the English had apparently taken recourse to a drop or two of local wine - the French army did exactly that.
The show uses some 450 professional actors, 50 live horses, cannons, pyrotechnics and a pounding score to bring this thrilling history lesson to life. Shows run every Friday and Saturday night -- in the hills behind the vilage of Castillon la Bataille, (on the road between Lalinde and Bordeaux), this massive cast of men and women, children, geese, horses, cattle, cannon, pigs, chickens, -- in fact you name it, and it is probalby there, act out the last battle of the 100-year war between the French and the English with fireworks, cannon shooting, armies of soldiers dashing across the hills, son et lumiere, music and dialogue -- in short, a brilliant and exciting and unforgettable show.
The Battle of Castillon on 17th July 1453 put an end to the Hundred Years’ War. The question is though, why was Aquitaine of the Middle Ages under English rule, and fighting against the French?An introductory film clip to the Show
THE ENGLISH AQUITAINE (Eleanor)
In 1137, the last Duke of Aquitaine died. His daughter Eleanor married Louis the Young, the future King of France, but their marriage is soon annuled. Shortly after, in 1152, she married Henri Plantagenêt the future king of England. Therefore Aquitaine attached to the English crown was also a vassal of the King of France. Following the death of Charles IV, and with the absence of an heir due to the ancient salic law, Philippe de Valois is proclaimed King in 1328. Subsequently, the King seized Aquitaine and lead to over a century of conflict between the two countries.
To comprehend the feelings of the population of Aquitaine, it should be acknowledged that the long English rule (300 years) brought with it neither misery, nor oppression. On the contrary the kings of England granted autonomy and opportunity with non-interventionist charters to the communes. Thus trade was the very core of the close links uniting Aquitaine and the English crown.
THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR
The war ravaged the country at its centre, the balance of power swung back and forth until Joan of Arc came to the fore. Guyenne was almost conquered by the French, but the demands of Charles VII made it difficult for the English to protect the region. Henry VI aware of the mood in Aquitaine sent Sir John Talbot to enforce English rule. After a rapid campaign Bordeaux fell on 23rd October 1452. Once again Castillon is under English rule and the French decide to counter attack.
They advanced along the valley of the Dordogne and took Gensac on the 8th July 1453, they approached the fortified city of Castillon, but did not besiege it. Changing their offensive strategy and not taking city by city is in line with their objective of destroying Talbot’s army and sealing the fate of Aquitaine in one fell swoop. As the Bureau brothers knew Castillon having fought there with the Penthièvre Army in 1451, it would appear that they wanted to ambush Talbot knowing the area’.
BATTLE PREPARATION
The army established itself 1.8km to the east of Castillon on the right bank of the Dordogne. It included approximately 10 000 men "from all the provinces", 1 800 lancers, cross-bowmen and an artillery of 300 pieces served by 700 men under the orders of the Bureau brothers. The selected site offered undeniable advantages. In the north it bordered the Lidoire, a small river with steep banks and whose level could be raised thanks to damming. In the west, the south and the east, a ditch surrounded it - 1,6 km long, 5 to 6 m wide, 4 m approximately deep - sufficient to discourage the attacker. Constructed in three days, according to tactical considerations that Vauban would not have faulted, it had salients, allowing crossfire. Protected by a slope and reinforced by tree trunks, it was going to pose frightening problems for the English cavalry. Thus built, the camp was 200 to 300 m from north to south and 600 m from west to east. In front of it the plain extended for 500 to 600 m to the Dordogne river whereby one could cross only at one ford, the Pas de Rauzan.
If the enemy came from north, it ran up against the Lidoire, an difficult obstacle to cross, right next to the camp. If it came from the west, it could not be entirely spread in front of the narrow edge of the camp (200 m), if it came from the south, the battle field to the Dordogne was under the fire of French artillery.
The French defences had been supplemented by two reserve units:
1 - 700 men had occupied the priory of St Florent in the North-West of the camp,
2 - the Breton cavalry with 240 lances were waiting at Horable, 1,5 km in north.
THE BATTLE
Le plan de bataille Warned by the Castillonnais, about the arrival of the French, Talbot, sitting in Bordeaux, decided to go their aid. He stayed overnight at Libourne and on the morning of the 8th hid in the woods overlooking the Priory. Because of what the Castillonnais had told him, he threw his forces on the weak garrison in Saint-Florent and bundled them out. The remnants of the garrison fled and did their best to retreat into the main camp. But the retreat was difficult; the fugitives followed the line of the hillside overlooking the river, and after some bloody hand to hand fighting crossedtemporary bridge, and regained the safety of the camp.
Talbot was just getting ready to hear Mass, when it was reported that the French had taken flight and abandoned their camp. Indeed, clouds of dust could be seen rising in the east on the plain above the position held by the French. It would later be learnt that these where camp followers removing surplus stores and baggage not needed in the Battle. Talbot was taken in by what he thought he saw, and without hesitation threw in his available troops to rout the French.
The accounts we have on the Battle emphasise the exemplary calm of these French troops as the English approached the trenches. Towards the centre of the defensive position was a deep and narrow indentation interrupted by a barrier, with a gate apparently serving as an entrance to the camp. Arriving at the counter-scarp the English tried to plant Talbot's standard on a stake by the barrier, but the French fought them off, and in the confused fray the standard rolled into the trench.
The French gunners meantime had the chance to get themselves ready, and on the command of fire, 300 guns fired simultaneously. The carnage was indescribable, with the attackers all bunched together, unable to escape or hide. Bravely, the survivors regrouped, but salvo after salvo crashed into them; they stampeded. So the French opened their barriers and pursued the fleeing English. In the fray which followed, Talbot's mount was shot from under him, and he was thrown to the ground where he was killed by one of the archers.
On hearing the noise of the gunfire, the Bretons waiting in reserve in Horable threw themselves at the fleeing English. Leaving at least 4000 dead on the battlefield, the survivors fled, some crossing the Dordogne, others falling back towards the West, a few even reaching Saint-Emilion, others again hiding in Castillon.
But not for long ! In fact on the 18th July 1543 the French brought up several pieces of artillery to the walls of Castillon, and that was enough to achieve the surrender of the town.
It was at the Château of Pressac, at Saint-Étienne de Lisse, that the surrender document was signed.
Talbot's body was recognized by his herald, and his remains were temporarily put to rest in Notre-Dâme de Colle, on the actual battlefield, then transported to England and buried in Witchurch. With Talbot gone, all the fortified places held by the English swiftly capitulated and Bordeaux gave up without bloodshed.
CONSEQUENCES
This battle sealed the permanent withdrawal of the English and helped to establish the authority of the king of France. But for Aquitaine, the consequences were not all beneficial. No more charters with a liberal content, no more a question of agreeing tribute. Everything they had gained in the way of autonomy was brought into question and was only regained a long time afterwards. The Castillonais lost all their privileges, and these were restored only with difficulties. It was not until 1474 that Jean de Foix-Candale granted them a charter whose terms were confirmed and extended by Gaston II in 1487. Besides all that, this defeat of the English threw the economy of the region into confusion. The commercial traffic which for two centuries had assured the prosperity of Aquitaine diminished. Sales of wine to England did not cease altogether, but were severely reduced for such transactions as did occur were accompanied by high charges and shabby harassment. Exile, voluntary or imposed, would also thin the ranks of the nobility ; some years later those in voluntary exile would be welcomed back, and some even recovered the lands they had abandoned.
In the military sphere, this victory, the product of a new strategic concept, highlighted the important and terrifying effect of artillery and the huge impact of cavalry when delivered at the right time and the right place. Unorganised cavalry charges, flights of arrows, individual combats overflowing with courage, would be powerless and incapable of putting a French camp in danger. The concept of war associated with the Middle-Ages collapsed and showed its inadequacy against the new techniques and the new weapons of war.
CONCLUSION
Paradoxically, the Castillonnais took little or no part in this important event which history will always remember. Within the shelter of their walls, they were able to follow the cavalry charges, hear the crash of gunfire and noise of battle almost like spectators at a drama, of whose manifold and distant repercussions they could have had no inkling.
For tickets and further information:
You can also contact us :
- by téléphone : 00 [33] 557 40 1453
- by fax : 00 [33] 557 40 3648
- by e-mail :info@batailledecastillon.com
You can also make your
reservation via :
1 . FNAC, Carrefour, Géant Casino
France Billets network
Phone :
00 [33] 803 02 0040
(0.15 €/mn)
-> FNAC Website
http://www.fnac.com
2 . Ticketnet :
Phone:
00 [33] 892 39 0100
0.34 €/mn)
-> TicketNet Website
http://www.ticketnet.fr
Click on Link:
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