The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary lies next to the Blatná castle, at the end of the main square. It was founded in the 1290s as a two-aisled building with a long presbytery, and small adytum on the north side. It gained its present looks in 1515 when the reconstruction was finished.
The bell tower is located next to the church. It was first built in 1722–1723. It was destroyed with most of the town in the big fire of 1834, but was built again in 1835–1836, this time at 52 metres (171 ft) of height.
Saint-Émilion is a picturesque medieval village renowned for its well-preserved architecture and vineyards. The town and surrounding vineyards was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, owing to its long, living history of wine-making, Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.
An oppidum was built on the hill overlooking the present-day city in Gaulish times, before the regions was annexed by Augustus in 27 BC. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. In the 4th century, the Latin poet Ausonius lauded the fruit of the bountiful vine.
Because the region was located on the route of the Camino de Santiago, many monasteries and churches were built during the Middle Ages, and in 1199, while under Plantagenet rule, the town was granted full rights.