Porte Brunet

The ramparts of Saint-Emilion were commissioned by England in the 12th century to protect the prosperous village of Saint-Emilion.

This fortification wall can also be seen as a ceremonial and prestigious wall, the primary purpose of which would have been to show off the village's power rather than to protect it. In any case, it must have been necessary to pay a tax to enter the village within its walls, representing a new source of wealth.

The inhabitants began by digging deep ditches all around the village themselves. Using the stones they dug out, they built a surrounding wall covering more than 18 hectares and running for around 1.5 km around the village. This wall was probably flanked by seven gates and small defensive towers, and a sentry walk linked the gates together.