Saint-Émilion, then as now, is an important town at the heat of one of the best wine producing regions near Bordeaux. Sited on the top of a ridge but built into a large hollow, many of the first settlers lived in caves, many of which still survive.

The town was important strategically, and several entries within the Gascon Rolls deal with the administration and defense of the town.

  • The keep built by the English to defend the town.
  • The Eglise collegiale, an important romanesque church sited on the ridge above the town.
  • The town has retained much of its character with many surviving buildings, some in timber, and with cobbled streets.