The
commune of Marsalès is
situated to the north of MONPAZIER, a 13th century English
bastide, on a water-sharing plateau between the Garonne and
Dordogne valleys (south-east Marsalès’ water-basin drains into
the Dropt while the north-west water-basin drains into the
Vérone and the Couze). Altitude varies from 150m -200m² above
sea-level.
Surface area : 943 ha of which 336 ha are forested and
slightly hilly.
Population :
230* inhabitants with housing scattered throughout
the commune’s 31 hamlets. The village, situated along the RD
660 departmental road and around the new town hall and village
hall, is currently growing.
Site of the
St Loup Church The hillock on which the
church is built was already occupied in Neolithic times. In the
Gallo-Roman era it became a site of worship for the God, Mars -
God of war and of farmers : ‘Mars’, or March, the renewal of
Spring. This explains why the commune was called MARSALESIUM
until 1249.
The wolf (‘le loup’), the cockerel and the sparrow-hawk were all
emblems attributed to Mars.
Mars was believed to be the father of Romus and Romulus,
children raised in the wild by a she-wolf.
The commune was originally attached
to the bastide of Molières but on 11 February 1285, following
the foundation of Monpazier, it became dependant on the latter.
The St Loup Church
and a gallery tomb known as the
«Oustal del Loup»
indicate the importance of the wolf, the ‘loup’, at Marsalès.
Thus, the solitary stained glass window of the church depicts a
stylised wolf.
*
(official population on January 1, 2012)
Text translated by Pays du Grand Bergeracois (professional translator).
