In Sainte-Foy-La-Grande, a cultural getaway takes you from the history of the bastide to digital art and history experiences. The bastide was founded in 1255; the Église Notre-Dame combines a long construction history with distinctive decorative features. A museum with free admission is dedicated to local history, while the Micro-Folie presents works from several cultural institutions digitally. There are also 360-degree virtual reality experiences and wine tastings. You can choose to focus your stay on medieval town history, art or local history.
Explore the bastide independently
The bastide of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande was founded in 1255 by Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Saint Louis. The bastide interpretation trail lets visitors independently discover the history of buildings representative of medieval new towns. The year of its founding provides a chronological starting point, while the trail focuses on the architectural history of representative buildings. A self-guided booklet for the trail is available at the Office de Tourisme reception.
Notre-Dame: construction history and features
The Église Notre-Dame de Sainte-Foy-La-Grande was built in the 13th century, partially destroyed in 1561 and rebuilt from 1622 onward. These dates mark the construction, destruction and subsequent rebuilding as distinct historical stages. Its features include stained-glass windows by Étienne Thibaud of Clermont-Ferrand, designed in a historicising style. The choir also contains a walnut pulpit dating from 1685. Its sculpted support depicts Hercules slaying the Lernaean Hydra. This makes it possible to connect the building’s history with specific details of its artistic features.
Local history and digital cultural offerings
The Musée du Pays Foyen is a museum of local history in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande with free admission. Visitors can discover Franck Barret’s imaginary world and Élie Faure’s reconstructed office; temporary exhibitions also focus on local history. The museum therefore brings together different ways of presenting the past: an imaginary world, a reconstructed workspace and changing exhibitions on local history.
The Micro-Folie du Pays Foyen is located in the heart of the Office de Tourisme du Pays Foyen in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande (Gironde). Its digital museum presents works from institutions such as the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, the Musée d’Orsay, the Château de Versailles and the Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris. The Micro-Folie also offers 360-degree virtual reality experiences featuring monuments, works of art and historic sites. Unlike the Musée du Pays Foyen, which focuses on local history, its main offerings are digitally presented works and virtual experiences.
Wine tasting without a guided tour
The Maison des Vignerons offers unguided visits and free individual wine tastings. This adds another way to explore the area alongside its architectural, religious and local history: you can combine an unguided visit with an individual wine tasting. There are therefore a variety of subjects and ways to visit to choose from, from exploring the bastide independently to digital experiences and wine tastings.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Androny, Rions, Loubens, Saint-André-Du-Bois, Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière, Marions, Gironde-Sur-Dropt, Génissac
For the main travel overview: Gironde.
