Lauzun is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France. The village of Lauzun is located in the north of Lot et Garonne, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It is separated from Périgord (Dordogne) by the river Dropt. It is on the D1 road, between Miramont and Castillonnes. Although small, Lauzun has all facilities and is a pleasant town to explore. This is especially the case now, following recent renovations which have made the centre of the village very pretty.

Pretty houses, nicely paved streets edged with lots of plants and flowers and lots of interesting architectural details to see as you wander round the village make a visit to Lauzun a pleasant experience. A small square opposite the halle has a modern water feature and further down the high street is a beautiful house called the 'House of the Caryatids' with four statues behind a wrought-iron balcony and an ornate roof line. Caryatid is the name for a female statue without arms. This neo-classical building was built in 1830 by an ancient mayor of Lauzun who clearly had illusions of grandeur!

On the opposite side of the high street is the church of Saint-Etienne which was originally built in the roman style, as you can see in the ornate doorway of the main facade, but the rest of the church has been much modified since, particularly during renovation works in the 19th century.

In amongst the houses of the 12th and 14th centuries are a number of narrow alleys linking the main streets. In one of these, the 'Venelle de Pompei' you can see the coat of arms of the 'Knights of Malta' carved into the stone.

On the main high street is the 'halle' of Lauzun with its large arched windows and doors. On the ground floor is a large market space and above the rooms were once used as the court after the French revolution. Now these are used by the town council.

Lauzun's strategic hilltop position was the site of a Gallo-Roman settlement, with a castle developed from the 6th century.

The de Caumont family were the lords of Lauzun from the 12th century until the French Revolution. The title Baron de Lauzun was elevated to become Comte de Lauzon from 1570 and Duc de Lauzun from 1692.

The Chateau de Lauzun was developed from the original medieval fortress as a Renaissance palace, hosting visits from Catherine de Medicis and her son, the future King Charles IX. Settled since Roman times, Lauzun gained in importance from the 13th century onwards at which stage the local lords started to develop the small existing castle into a major defensive structure. The castle was much modified in the 16th-17th centuries to make it more comfortable for living in, and is now the major monument in the town.

The church of St Etienne has a 15th-century Madonna & child sculpture, a 16th-century polychrome statue of Christ and a 17th-century altar and pulpit, commissioned by Nompar de Caumont, Compte de Lauzun, in 1623.

In 1793, Lauzun was made a district centre of the Lot and Garonne department, with a law court and a post office.

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