Bordeaux and the Barbarians

The early prosperity of Bordeaux and the fame it enjoyed under Rome’s rule was quickly destroyed when it was invaded. The city was blasted by the Alans, Ilerulians, Sarmatians, and Vandals in 406, which left the city in ruins.

The destruction

The invasion of the city by the Barbarians left Bordeaux in ruins. The invaders continued on their way into the south where they hit Spain. Unfortunately, this was not the last that Bordeaux heard of them. The city was left to the Visigoths in an attempt to spare Italy, and the Visigoths were not kind to Christians. The Christians were persecuted, leaving the churches empty.

Reclaiming the city

Bordeaux was run for nearly a century by the barbarians—a stark contrast from the wine experts that now make up the city, hawking their Petite Sirah (http: //www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Petite%20Sirah/). Toulouse was made the capital of the kingdom, but Bordeaux was occasionally used to hold court. However, King Clovis of France ended up defeating them at the Battle of Vouille in 507.

He claimed Bordeaux, and made it into the main city of Aquitania. After Clovis died, the country was plunged into several wars, between the descendents or foreign invaders. This continued until Dagobert reestablished the kingdom of Toulouse. Unfortunately, it did not remain a kingdom for long, but became a duchy until 696 when it became an independent state.
Invasion of the Saracens

This lasted until 731, when the Saracens invaded the country as far as the Loire. They were eventually defeated by the duke of Aquitania, Eudes, and his ally Charles Martel. Martel then ransacked the provinces as a way to punish the son of Eudes for attempting to retake towns.

Afterwards, there was a war between Pepin and W aifer, which lasted after Waifer was assassinated by Pepin’s men. This put Aquitania under the control of Charlemagne, who made it into a kingdom for his infant son after seeing his army, led by his nephew Roland, be destroyed at Roncevaux.

War again

Louis took over the kingdom of Aquitania and passed it on to Pepin. Pepin founded many abbeys, and after his death, the country was again torn to pieces by war. It was attacked by the Normans in 844, ransacking the city. They were eventually pushed back to the bases, which they burned.

Eventually, the Normans left the country after receiving a tribute from Charles the Bald. Bordeaux was then governed by Louis, the last king until 877 when he became the king of France. After that, Aquitania became a duchy, though it often neglected its obligation to pay homage to the king.

Enriching the church

With so much war and troubles of the nation also came pilgrimages and other token s of repentance. Many of the warriors thought that they could have their war crimes forgiven by giving to the church, and so they spent the last of their days in the churches, some even living as monks. There are still monks that make up a sufficient percentage of the population in Bordeaux. Not everyone walks around sipping their Pinotage (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Pinotage/) in the vineyards.

Bordeaux has seen much of its history in a state of war and suffering. With the exception of certain serfs who were attached to the land, all men were required to fight and die for their country. This left many of the cities like Bordeaux struggling to recover after the major battles. Those that remained often left their wealth to the church, certain that the end of the world was rapidly approaching.

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Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA. She specializes in travel, leisure, and the history of wine making. For a great selection of varietals such as Petite Sirah and Pinotage, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/.