History of Aquitaine

The Kingdom of France still suffered from instability, however, and it was to combat this that the Parliament of Bordeaux was created in 1462. One of its members was Michel de Montaigne, the famous author of the Essays. This did not prevent one part of the region attracting much attention, however…

The Kingdom of Navarre, under the Albret family, was not only a centre of Protestantism in the region, but also the home of King Henri IV of France. Born a Protestant and married initially to Catholic Marguerite of Valois, Henri of Navarre was to convert to Catholicism in 1589 to accede to the throne (he is quoted as having said “Paris is well worth a Mass”) and bring an end to the wars of religion between Catholics and Protestants with the Edict of Nantes (1598).

And what were the people of Aquitaine up to in the 17th century?
If they belonged to the nobility, they may have been lucky enough to attend the wedding of King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria in 1615, or that of their son Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse, the Spanish Infanta, in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1660.
For those of more modest origins, they will certainly have been taking part in the violent popular uprisings against royal taxation. Aquitaine has always had a strongly independent streak, making it a very fertile breeding-ground for such revolts.

Among the region’s more notable inhabitants in later times, the traders of Bordeaux and its region were among the most fortunate, with the 18th century seeing the port city reach its peak and establish itself lastingly as the leading city in Aquitaine. Its magnificent architecture from the period bears testimony to the city’s golden age. 

The traders imported exotic goods (coffee, chocolate, cotton…) and exported the region’s produce to the Hanseatic ports, to America and to Russia. And there were even those who were convinced of the virtues of equality by their compatriot Montesquieu and may not have taken part in the notorious slave trade.

These were times of such new ideas, giving rise to the French Revolution. After early disturbances, Aquitaine quietened down fairly quickly… From this time on, the region seems to have preferred to watch the major events of history from afar.