BAZAS

bazas, a town of south-western france, in the department of gironde, 38-1/2 m. s.s.e. of bordeaux by rail. pop. (1906) town, 2505; commune, 4684. the town, which was the seat of a bishop from at least the beginning of the 6th century till 1790, has a gothic church (formerly the cathedral) dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries. there are remains of ramparts (15th and 16th centuries) and several old houses of the 16th century. the vineyards of the vicinity produce white wine. the town is capital of an arrondissement, and carries on tanning, &c., and trade in the well-known bazadais cattle. bazas (_cossio_) was capital of the ancient tribe of the _vasates_, and under the romans one of the twelve cities of novempopuluna. in later times it was capital of the district of bazadais. it was the scene of much bloodshed during the religious wars of the 16th century.