What is a bastide?
Q: What is a bastide?
A: A bastide is a fortified town that was built mainly in the south of France during the Middle Ages.
Q: When were most bastides built?
A: Most bastides were built between 1229 and 1373, between the Albigensian Crusade and the Hundred Years' War.
Q: How many bastides are there today?
A: There are about 400 bastides still in existence today.
Q: What do most bastides have in common?
A: Most bastides have a central square, a rectangular street layout, and houses with arcades on their market squares.
Q: Where were these towns usually located?
A: Bastides were usually built in places that were easy to defend, such as the top of a hill or on a plain.
Q: Are there any well-known examples of surviving bastides?
A: Yes, two well-known surviving examples of bastides are Carcassonne and Andorra la Vella.
