Molières over the centuries
It is usually said that Molières was founded in 1284 by Jean de Grailly, seneschal to Edward I, King of England. But obviously, people lived in Molières long before the foundation of the Bastide.
Some examples:
- Just think of the prehistoric cave of Cussac, which is located on the northern slope of the Bélingou, the stream which separates us from the neighbouring village of Le-Buisson-de-Cadouin, to understand that our region was most certainly already inhabited in prehistoric times. You can read more about it on our page about prehistory in the Périgord (FR).
- The hamlet of Aillac already existed in 1120. An abbey was established there by the monks of Cadouin and a church was built in 1140.
- Before the foundation of the bastide, a parish, “Saint Jean de Molières”, existed in the 12th century to the north of the village, near todays cemetery.
Our aim is not to make a scientific study of the history of our village. Our objective is to give you the motivation to discover it and the keys to understand it.
A text written in 1984 on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the foundation of the Bastide by Claire Veaux, history teacher, native of Molières and passionate about its history.
Thanks to the parish and civil status registers and the notaries archives, it is possible to retrace the life of the village in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The 20th century still seems so close, and yet our collective memory is rapidly being lost. A small compilation to help us to remind.
Lost in the Périgourdine countryside, Molières is today a pleasant and peaceful place to live, appreciated by its inhabitants and by tourists.
If you want to learn more about Molières and its history, we can recommend the following brochures, published and sold by « Les Amis de la Bastide de Molières » (in French).
