Molières,
an English bastide,
was founded in 1284 by Jean de Grailly, Seneschal of England.
It was never completed and do not experience the urban
expansion of Monpazier. In 1316, Ghilem de Toulouse, Seneschal
of Périgord for Edward II of England chose to make Molières
his base and build a château there. However, this too was
never finished.
The town suffered badly in the Hundred Years War and was
rebuilt afterwards only to be destroyed again by the Wars of
Religion.
Molières is in the south-east of the
‘Périgord Pourpre’, very close to the ‘Périgord Noir’ in the
canton of Le Buisson de Cadouin near Cadouin and St Avit Sénieur.
It is reached by the D27, the VC 204 and the VC 213.
With a surface area of 2286 hectares, Molières counts a
population of 320.
Molières is a pastoral village, most appealing right when you
set your eyes on it as you pass the bends of the roads leading
to its heart. It is a charming Bastide surrounded by walnut
trees carefully looked after, and the many lanes there are an
invitation to take a stroll around. The whole story of the
village, which is the smallest Bastide in Perigord, can be seen
in the golden stone walls and the general architecture of the
place, which in continually embellished and most loved by his
inhabitants.
Text translated by Pays du Grand Bergeracois (professional translator).