High on a butte above the Lède Valley, in
beautiful countryside stands the proud bastide of Monflanquin, one
of the prettiest villages in France.
It was founded in 1252 by
Alphonse de Poitiers, King Saint Louis's brother. It is one of a
large number of new towns that sprang up in the mediaeval period
between the 13th and 14th centuries.
The town still has many relics of its
warlike past, like the carved door of the church, the Black Princes
house, a network of alleys called "carrérots" and above all the
splendid square surrounded by houses built over arcades.
A legend says that the highest house in
the main square belonged to the Black Prince (Edward Prince of
Wales, son of Edward III and brother of John of Gaunt). It is
remarkable due to the cover vaulted in ogival cross & its windows
(very similar structure to the one in Le
Porche, Molières)
