Editions Sud Ouest

Saint-Emilion, a mediaeval town built on a hillside, still has outstanding heritage sites in which everything serves as a reminder of its glorious past. It is, though, also a subterranean town. Beneath the narrow streets, town walls, churches and cloisters is a whole network of old quarries and caves containing more than a few unexpected sights. One of them houses the largest underground church in Europe.

The network of galleries has been turned into a network of wine cellars and it is here that the wine for which the town is world-famous is produced and aged. Saint-Emilion is more than a town of major historical interest; it is also one of the most famous wines in the world, and one of the few places in which town and vineyards blend in perfect harmony.

In 1999, Saint-Emilion was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.

Antoine LEBÈGUE

Antoine Lebègue is a historian who has written or directed many books on the Pyrenees and South-Western France, including the Midi-Pyrénées and Aquitaine Blue Guides (published by Hachette).