Attractions and Places To See around Saint-Ferme - Top 9

Lively small market town, with an arcaded market square

For the patronage of this house of God: The cross, which does not stand upright but is slanted, inevitably reminding the viewer of the letter "X" of the Latin alphabet, is (if this modern term may be applied to a person who lived around 2000 years ago) his trademark. The disciple of Jesus, who belongs to the circle of the twelve apostles, gave his name to the "St. Andrew's cross", on which he was executed as a martyr for his Christian faith. The feast of Saint Andrew in the calendar of saints is on November 30th in all major Christian denominations.

Majestic in its size and appearance, the Loubens mill is one of the most remarkable in the Entre-deux-Mers region. Its installation seems to date back to the 11th century. A square, medieval tower, built on an island, bears similarities to the Bagas mill located 2 km downstream. It includes three sets of millstones still in place. However, it is not a fortified building; it is a weir mill. To the north construction, a bridge with a double row of arches was added in the 18th century, containing two more pairs of millstones and a fulling mill (a machine used not for grinding grain, but for fulling textiles. These mills were often called "beating mills"). This southern part of the mill earned it the name "little Chenonceau". The mill has been classified as a Historic Monument since 2000.

Beautiful view of the ivy-covered mill.

Sauveterre-de-Guyenne is a bastide. A bastide is a type of French medieval town, founded in the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily in southwestern France. A bastide is characterized by a rectangular street pattern that divides the town into eight blocks around a central market square. The Treaty of Paris (1229) prohibited the building of walls around new towns. Many bastides were provided with some form of fortification, such as gates, after their founding to provide some protection during turbulent times. Most bastides had only local significance and did not develop into large towns. As a result, many bastides, such as that of Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, have been preserved in their original state.

Duras Castle, located in Lot-et-Garonne, is a restored medieval fortress boasting remarkable architecture and magnificent views. It is a major historical monument in the region.

Using the power of moving water to drive a mill wheel is an ancient invention that dates back to pre-Christian times. Thanks to such a construction, human or animal muscle power could be easily replaced by a watercourse - natural or artificially created - in order to grind grain into corn, for example. There are essentially two different ways of driving watermills: Either the water simply hits the blades of the water wheel from below to set it in motion; or the water is guided above the wheel and falls onto the blades; this type of construction is more efficient due to natural gravity.

Pretty village in the center of Entre-Deux-Mers - Medieval bastide with ramparts all around, some pretty gates and a central square which is worth a stop...