Casseuil’s history is visible in clearly distinct traces: the Maison dite Casteras brings together a 16th-century building and a meeting in 1578; at the church are a Roman frieze and a 15th-century vault. Other features include the imagery of the Chapelle Notre-Dame du Paradis, a canoe trip to the weir, and the winemaking of Château Paradis Casseuil. This offers different ways to discover the town’s architectural history, river and landscape.
Historic buildings and traces of their past
The Maison dite Casteras was built around the middle of the 16th century. On 2 October 1578, a meeting between Henri de Navarre and Catherine de MĂ©dicis took place there. The meeting therefore took place after the approximate construction period and gives the house a precisely dated historical connection. The tower and its staircase were listed as a Monument historique by decree on 30 May 1990.
The Domaine de Montalban originally served as a fortified estate strategically situated to watch over the ford at Pas-de-Saint-Georges. Listed on 28 December 2010, the estate includes Chinese wallpapers, outbuildings with a chapel, a walled farmyard and a round corner tower. It was extended at the beginning and end of the 18th century, and a terrace was added on the south side.
The two buildings can be considered through different historical questions: at the Maison dite Casteras, the focus is on its approximate construction date and the meeting. At the Domaine de Montalban, its original defensive function and later extensions trace several stages in its architectural history.
Chapel and church: architecture and imagery
The Chapelle Notre-Dame du Paradis is located in Le Paradis. It was rebuilt in the 18th century and decorated in the 19th century by the Marquis de Las Cases, following designs by Violet le Duc. Its sky-blue vault is adorned with golden lilies. The chapel houses a Virgin carried by angels and crowned by the sun; the moon lies beneath her feet, and she crushes the head of the serpent. The vault and the statue offer two clearly distinct motifs in the chapel’s interior.
Casseuil’s church also brings together different historical layers. Its sacristy contains a white marble Roman frieze from the Gallo-Roman villa Cassinogilum. The ribbed vault of the northern chapel, by contrast, dates from the 15th century. While the Chapelle Notre-Dame du Paradis is associated with imagery and phases of reconstruction, the church is notable for the Roman origins of its frieze and the date of its vault.
River landscape and winemaking
As part of the Cap33 programme, the Gironde département offers a canoe trip from the confluence of the Dropt and the Garonne to the Casseuil weir. The route therefore has clearly specified starting and ending points and provides a distinct river activity alongside the historic buildings. Check the latest Cap33 information before making specific plans.
At the weir, a fish pass enables fish species to cross it. The weir is thus both the destination of the canoe trip and a passage point for fish. This gives the river landscape two distinct perspectives: the stated canoe route and the ecological function of the installation.
The Château Paradis Casseuil vineyard lies on hills above the Garonne and is surrounded by woodland. Drawing on the family’s winemaking expertise, Château Paradis Casseuil produces Bordeaux wine. The vineyard’s landscape setting and the making of the wine are therefore connected, while Casseuil’s buildings are best understood through their construction dates, former functions and architectural details.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Pey-D'armens, Mourens, Bouliac, Gujan-Mestras, Salles, Pessac, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, Cestas
For the broader travel overview: Gironde.
