Castelsarrasin City Map Poster

About Castelsarrasin

Castelsarrasin is located on the left bank of the Garonne river, at an equal distance from Toulouse and Bordeaux. The city has a rich architectural heritage, with many medieval and Renaissance buildings surviving in its historic centre. Castelsarrasin was founded during Roman times as "Caractacus" (or "Carcas"), when it was an important administrative centre for the region. It became later one of feudal strongholds guarding southern Francia's border with Aquitaine; then came under English control until 1451, when it fell to France following its victory over England in the Hundred Years' War. In 1620 it gained strategic importance due to construction of a fortified bridge across the Garonne River by Louis XIII's military engineer Vauban: this led to further fortifications being built here by Richelieu under Louis XIV against Spanish attacks during Franco-Spanish War (1635–59). During World War II, several thousand Jews took refuge from Nazi persecution within Vichy France's so-called Zone libre ("free zone").