BORDEAUX HISTORY
A Brief History of Bordeaux
Part 6: French Bordeaux
The return to France was not appreciated by the bourgeoisie
who, as a result of heavy taxes and obstacles placed on
wine exporting, experienced a slump in their earnings.
The inhabitants of Bordeaux rebelled and to show his domination
Charles VII made Bordeaux a royal city, building two fortresses,
the Château de Hâ and the Château Trompette,
to protect the town and the port. Wine exports significantly
decreased but the city of trade held on, waiting for the
next opportunity.
Meanwhile, the latter half of the sixteenth century saw
a new crisis in the Wars of Religion occurring alongside
an intellectual revolution: the French Renaissance. Michel
de Montaigne (1533-1592) was one of the most illustrious
writers of this period. 
Born just outside Bordeaux, Montaigne is recognised today for his ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography.
In 1581, one year after the publication of his Essais, Montaigne became Mayor of Bordeaux. He held this position for 4 years in which his anti-dogmatic opinion enabled peace to be retained between the Catholics and Protestants of Bordeaux. Montaigne is often acknowledged as the father of the “anti-conformist French spirit”.
Read about The Golden Age of Bordeaux >
