Portes Sud Périgord Tourist Office - Eymet Branch Discover over 200,000 years of history in the heart of Périgord

Eymet, a history through the centuries

Mysterious origins

Where does the name Eymet come from? Its origin remains uncertain. Over the centuries, Aymétum, Bastida Eymeti, Haymetout, Amet, Aymet, Eymeto… have been its various forms. Several hypotheses exist, but one of the most plausible derives Eymet from the Celtic term *nemetum*, which designates a sacred place or grove. The numerous Gallic remains discovered in the region could support this theory.

A land inhabited since prehistoric times

Long before the bastide town was founded, the area around Eymet had already been inhabited by humans for at least 200,000 years. Prehistoric tools, jewelry, household objects, dolmens, and menhirs bear witness to this presence over millennia. More recently, research conducted on the Blis plateau has revealed a significant Gallic settlement of approximately 10 hectares, protected by an impressive defensive system.

Gallo-Roman Eymet

The Dropt Valley also preserves traces of Roman presence. At La Galinière and Blis, archaeologists have discovered mosaics, coins, ceramics, columns, and statues. Among them, a head of a man attributed to Hercules is now kept at the Vesunna Museum in Périgueux.
The Blis site is also the subject of an excavation campaign that started in 2021.

1270: birth of the bastide

After a poorly documented Middle Ages, Eymet truly enters the historical record on June 28, 1270, with the founding of its bastide by Alphonse of Poitiers, brother of King Saint Louis. Organized around its central square, the bastide was first and foremost an economic and commercial center. Its Thursday market, established in the charter of customs, perpetuates a tradition over seven centuries old to this day!

Quickly annexed to the English crown, Eymet became a prize in the Hundred Years' War. On September 1, 1377, a battle raged between the English and French at its entrance. Many English and Gascon soldiers drowned in the Dropt River, at the "Gua de Roupy," long known as the "English Hole." The same battle left another striking trace: an imposing siege engine, the "sow," unable to pass through a gate that was too narrow, was partially demolished. This would become the Engin Gate, giving its name to the present-day street.

Eymet, a Protestant land

In the 16th century, the Reformation took a profound toll on the region. Eymet became a refuge for Protestants and hosted Henry of Navarre, the future Henry IV, on several occasions. In 1588, while staying in the region, he wrote a letter to his mistress Corisande that ended with this charming phrase: "I send you a thousand million kisses from Aymet…"

Despite the destruction ordered under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, the Reformed faith remained firmly established. In 1804, Napoleon I authorized the construction of the current temple on the site of the old one.

From the first prehistoric inhabitants to the stones of the fortified town, each era has left its mark on Eymet. Now it's up to you to discover these traces as you wander its streets…