Perched on a hill overlooking the plain of Revel, Château de Montgey is beautiful private castle built in the 12th, 13th and 17th centuries and the church and its newly restored tower.
If it is difficult to date the first castle, there is no doubt that it existed at the beginning of the 13th century. During the crusade of the Albigenses, in spring 1211, the Crusaders suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Montgey. In retaliation, Simon de Montfort, destroyed village and castel. It is rebuilt quickly after by his lord, Jourdain de Roquefort, a close to the count of Toulouse Raymond VII.
The castle changes owner several times, according to sales, marriages or legacies, passing the wars of religion without damage. Adjoining buildings are built on vaulted cellar in the 18th century outside the ramparts and a small crenellated dungeon overlooking the roofs in the 19th century.
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.