Bazas

For the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem called Bazas, see Zamudas of Jerusalem.

"Bazadais" redirects here. For the breed of cattle, see Bazadaise.

Bazas
Commune
Bazas Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location of Bazas
Bazas Show map of France Bazas Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 44°25′58″N0°12′38″W / 44.4328°N 0.2106°W / 44.4328; -0.2106
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Gironde
Arrondissement	Langon
Canton	Le Sud-Gironde
Intercommunality	Bazadais
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Isabelle Dexpert [1]
Area 1	37.29 km2 (14.40 sq mi)
Population  (2022) [2]	4,819
• Density	130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	33036 /33430
Elevation	34–123 m (112–404 ft) (avg. 56 m or 184 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

City gate of Bazas as painted in the 19th century

Bazas (French pronunciation: [bazas] ; Gascon : Vasats) is a commune in Gironde, a department in southwestern France.

Geography

Bazas stands on a narrow promontory above the Beuve valley 60 km/37 mi southeast of Bordeaux and 40 km/25 mi southwest of Marmande.

History

As Cossio, it was capital of the ancient tribe of the Vasates, and under the Romans one of the twelve cities of Novempopulania, ^[3] when it was known as Civitas Vasatica ^[4]

In later times it was capital of the district of Bazadais, and was the seat of the bishop of the diocese of Bazas from at least the beginning of the 6th century until 1790. ^[3] And for 250 years prior to 1057, the Bishop of Bazas bore the title of Bishop of Aire, Dax, Bayonne, Oloron and Lescar. According to Gregory of Tours, Bazas had a bishop at the time of the Vandal invasion in the 5th century. ^[5]

The dedication of the cathedral to St. John the Baptist is explained in an account given by the same historian that a lady of Bazas, whom certain hagiographers of the 19th century believe to have been St. Veronica, brought from Palestine a relic of St. John the Baptist at the time of that saint's death. ^[5]

Pope Urban II (1088–99) preached the crusade at Bazas. ^[5]

Bazas was a subprefecture until 1926, when it was replaced in the role to Langon.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	4,567	—
1975	4,748	+0.56%
1982	4,704	−0.13%
1990	4,379	−0.89%
1999	4,357	−0.06%
2008	4,607	+0.62%
2013	4,731	+0.53%
2018	4,798	+0.28%
2022	4,819	+0.11%
Source: INSEE [6]

Sights

The town has a Gothic cathedral dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. ^[7] There are remains of ramparts (15th and 16th centuries) and several old houses of the 16th century. ^[3]

See also

Ancient Diocese of Bazas

• Communes of the Gironde department

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
2. "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
3.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bazas". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 561.
4. Orbis Latinus:Bazas
5.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Goyau, Pierre-Louis-Théophile-Georges (1907). "Archdiocese of Bordeaux (Burdigala)". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia . Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
6. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
7. 868 - Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle en France, Unesco, 2016.

External links

• Roquetaillade castle
• Town council website
• Bazas Cathedral Setting and Zodiac Signs