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Great names of Libourne
ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE (1122 - 1204) Duchess and Queen
Aquitaine, at that time, was one of the most important dukedoms in France. In 1137, its duke, Guillaume X died, leaving Eleanor his sole heir. The dukedom had previously been under the protection of Louis VI, the King of France, who was eager to get it back, decided, upon the death of Guillaume X, to marry Eleanor to his son Louis VII.
Louis VI died shortly afterwards and Eleanor became Queen of France. But over time husband and wife fell out, what's more Eleanor could only give birth to daughters. Thus Louis VII and Eleanor seperated in 1152 and Eleanor took Henry Plantagenet, Count of Anjou and heir to the King of England as her second husband. Upon the death of the King of England, Henry Pantagenet became king and Eleanor once again Queen!
Roger de Leyburn (1220-1271)
An English lord (1220-1271), he was friend and follower of Edward I, the son of Henry II, who entrusted him with the dukedom of Aquitaine around 1254. Since Edward was compelled to stay in England to protect his throne, it was to Roger De Leyburn that Edward assigned the task of laying out the bastide-cum-port of Libourne.
De Leyburn, bearing the title of lieutenant to Edward I, is believed to have arrived in December 1269. We know that the town was marked out in 1270 and bore its founder's name: "Leyburnia".
Robert Boulin (1920-1979)
A proponent of Gaullist ideas, he was one of the founders of the local RPF party. After General De Gaulle's return to power he was elected député for Libourne, the 9th constituency of the Gironde, in 1958 and town mayor the following year.
He was consistently re-elected to these two posts until his tragic death in 1979. He had an outstanding ministerial career and was the driving force behind the town's expansion between 1958 and 1978. He oversaw the creation of industrial and commercial estates, the construction of housing developments and estates, a rise in the number of schools and stadiums, a swimming-pool, and a new hospital which today bears his name. A bronze bust of him by J. Becher-Ferber can be seen in the interior garden of the town hall.