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Lescar, located 10 km west of Pau is an old settlement and the ruins of the Roman city of Benabarnum have been found here; older remains dating up to 3000 years B.C. have been found and some artefacts are visible at the museum. During the late Roman Empire (Historians call it the Lower Empire), it has been renamed Novempopulanie. All these names do not have their origin in the actual Lescar name, which dates from the higher middle age.
Lescar is now part of the outer suburbs of Pau and a residential area counting 8000 inhabitants; it existed long time before Pau and was during periods of the Middle age the capital city of Bearn and walking in the streets reveal to the good eyes some splendours of the past.
On the mainpicture , we see the southern rampart facing the plain of the Gave, big walls and abutments made with pebbles.
In the old city, the entrance gates are big defensive porches (picture 2): porte de l’Esquirette.
A huge donjon dominates the streets in the old city (picture 3), and the little brick tower on picture 4 hosts the Tourist office.
I added a picture taken in the Museum (picture 5), but I will come back there for a better one, sorry and some descriptions from this small but interesting museum.
Additional tip: the tourist office organises guided walking city tours (3.5 Euros), from June to September, departure 9 A.M. including the Roman ruins and some countryside viewpoints and to-see places.
Updated Dec 30, 2006
Address: Tourist office : 05.59.81.15.98
Phone: Tourist office : 05.59.81.15.98
Website: http://www.tourisme64.com
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I like to look at the balconies of some houses in Pau, not sure it is typical from here, but they are so different in size, style, location on the building! Rue Corisande on the main picture, another on a popular building rue Samonzet (picture 2), two others between Rue Barthou and Boulevard des Pyrénées (picture 3 and 4) ; the last one near Rue Carnot . The strange long balconies are in popular areas, on long buildings, the more elaborated ones in richer areas.
Written Dec 30, 2006
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When you walk in the streets, going from one monument to the other, take your time and look in the backyards of the houses, as the main doors opening to the streets are open.Nicely decorated yards, balconies deserve a look. Given the humid climate here, and the hot summers, you may even find some tiny local tropical forests hidden in the backyards (picture 2). On rue Louis Barthou, when you enter the big doors, you even may find lush vegetation and the Pyrenees as background, and on other places just a small wisteria or a magnolia tree.
Written Dec 30, 2006
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Ah, finally, I can tell about the legend of the baptism of Henri IV. This legend says, when he was born, he received a Bearnaise baptism: his grandfather Henri de Navarre rubbed the baby’s lips with a garlic clove and dropped some Jurançon wine on his mouth. On the main picture you see a turtle shell which was the cradle of Henri IV; the decoration is of course more recent. Before entering this room you have gone through the Bourbon cabinet (oh, by the way, Henri IV was the first Bourbon on the throne of France), and the Marquet de Vasselot room, where a painting of Henri IV featuring the god Mars is represented. (picture 2), then the antechamber and the bedroom of Jeanne d’Albret, mother of Henri IV where , again 19th century furniture is displayed.
And before leaving the chateau apartments look through the windows and look at the high towers and walls, and the mansarde windows decorations.?
Visit inside possible only with a guide
Entrance fee: 5 €
Free for young people until 17 and free every first Sunday of the month.
Open throughout the year, every day except: January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th
Opening hours:
September 16th to June 14th:
9h30 - 11h45 / 14h - 17h
June 15th to September 15th:
9h30 - 12h15 / 13h30 - 17h45
Written Dec 30, 2006
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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Upstairs you enter first a reception room, where most of furnishings is from 19th century, decorating a room with renaissance ceilings and a renaissance fireplace.Next room an empire style decoration, (picture 2); I prefer to have a look outside rather than to spend too much time in listening to boring explanations (probably depends on the guide) (picture 3) where I have a different look at the towers. Then the bedroom of the sovereign, who was Louis-Philippe king of France from 1830 to 1848, who renovated the Chateau; the old character of the chateau has somehow been destroyed, and again 19th century decoration like this little angel on a pendulum clock (picture 4) and finally the room of the queen. In the corridor between the king’s and queen’s rooms a Gobelin shows an interesting detail: are these goldfinches (picture 5) there to give some inspiration to the king when he visits the queen?
Visit inside possible only with a guide
Entrance fee: 5 €
Free for young people until 17 and free every first Sunday of the month.
Open throughout the year, every day except: January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th
Opening hours:
September 16th to June 14th:
9h30 - 11h45 / 14h - 17h
June 15th to September 15th:
9h30 - 12h15 / 13h30 - 17h45
Written Dec 30, 2006
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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When you begin the guided visit, you have to follow the guide who repeats two-three times, flashlights are not allowed for photography; frustration, but there is an explanation: it seems the Gobelins inside do not like the flashlights, and may be it is true, they have wonderful colors.
Well getting in you go through the kitchen (picture 2) where the fireplaces look like new, without any soot, which for me belongs to a “normal” fireplace.
After having crossed the officers room, decorated with “modern” (19th century) furniture, you enter the 100 dishes room; this is a huge room which contains a table where 100 people could sit and have dinner in the same time (main picture ) ; the table is of oak wood resting on fir legs; it does not look massive, looks even elegant, but if you want to tell something to the person at the other end of the table. . . . . At the other end of the room is a statue of . . . . Henry IV , of course, but the interesting things here are the gobelins you already could see on the main picture. On picture 3 a rural celebration and on picture 4, a hunting scene; the colors are not very good on the pictures, but these big, more than 3 meters high tapestries are impressive with realism, and details.
Pity is that being in a guided tour you have no time to have a detailed look at these wonderful pieces of art.
The main staircase which leads to the first floor has an interesting “en caissons” ceiling. (picture 5), and again are the M and H initials on the right part of the montage.
Visit inside possible only with a guide
Entrance fee: 5 €
Free for young people until 17 and free every first Sunday of the month.
Open throughout the year, every day except: January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th
Opening hours:
September 16th to June 14th:
9h30 - 11h45 / 14h - 17h
June 15th to September 15th:
9h30 - 12h15 / 13h30 - 17h45
Written Dec 30, 2006
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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Before going inside we can have a look at the renaissance style decoration of the walls and windows, in the yard.
the medallions you see on the first picture are the initials of Henri (Henri d’Albret grandfather of Henri IV) and Marguerite (Marguerite d’Angoulême) who lived in the Chateau, and the legend says they were in love their whole life, and that is why the initials are as medallions or painted everywhere in the chateau.
Other medallions represent important persons in the Pau history, like Henri IV, of course, (picture 2), Gaston Phébus (picture 3), or unknown people (picture 4). Many medallions are displayed below the richly decorated renaissance windows. (picture 5)
Updated Dec 30, 2006
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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We enter through the portico, where a statue of King Henri IV (picture 2) made in the 19th century is welcoming the visitors. The yard inside has a trapezoidal shape, and high walls are surrounding it. On these walls you can see medallions representing famous people who marked the history of Bearn; the western inside wall displays two vertical rows (picture 3) on each side of windows on all height of the wall.
The windows, in a heavily decorated renaissance style (pictures 4 and 5) are worth a look before entering the chateau for a visit. .
Musée national du château de Pau
64 000 Pau
Telephone: 05 59 82 38 02
Visit inside possible only with a guide
Entrance fee: 5 €
Free for young people until 17 and free every first Sunday of the month.
Open throughout the year, every day except: January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th
Opening hours:
September 16th to June 14th:
9h30 - 11h45 / 14h - 17h
June 15th to September 15th:
9h30 - 12h15 / 13h30 - 17h45
Written Dec 30, 2006
Address: Musée national du château de Pau,64 000 Pau
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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Let us get closer through this postern (fortified door) on the Northern side of the Chateau; the peaks here are recent ones, but I can imagine the rusted ones from the middle age. . .
The Tour Billère (picture 2) is in front us, construction of stones, bricks and pebbles, these last ones a traditional construction material in Bearn, where they are removed from the fields (the plough then, gets better through) piled on the borders of the fields and then transported to places where they are used for building purposes.
With the chateau on our right side we walk in the former trench which surrounded it and come opposite of the main entrance where the Donjon looks impressive (picture 3).
Then you arrive on the southern side of the chateau where the path is laid out with arbours, and where you pass by “la tour de la monnaie” (picture 4), an outpost fortified tower. Nowadays there is a lift in this tower allowing direct access to the Chateau from the parking located near the Gave River down the Chateau.
And finally we arrive at the west side where we have a view at the Mazeres and Louis Philippe towers from close, and we meet Gaston Phébus, an emblematic character in Bearn History. Gaston Fébus (or Phébus), built the brick donjon and left a signature on one of its walls: Gaston mé fé (Gaston m’a fait in French, Gaston made me in English). Gaston Phébus, also known as Gaston de Foix, was, in the 14th century, during the 100 years war between France and England, ruler of territories which “belonged” either to the king of France or the King of England, and managed to keep integrity of Bearn.
Written Dec 30, 2006
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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Le Chateau (the castle) is the main “attraction” (in the original sense of that word!) of Pau.
The castle of Pau (le chateau de Pau) is the birthplace of King Henri IV, but its history began before. In the middle age it was a fortified castle, meant to watch the ford on the Gave River; three towers from this period are still there with some modifications.
In the 14th century, Gaston Fébus built the brick donjon of 33 m height.
I propose you to first walk around and have a look at the walls and the general shape and lay-out.
The main picture, shows the eastern side of the chateau, as seen when coming from the old city, on the Place de la Déportation. Left is the massive middle age old Tour Montauser, and right the Tour Napoleon III, and the Napoleon III wing. These last buildings have been added during the renovation initiated in the 19th century by king Lois-Philippe and then Napoleon III; these renovations were symbolically undertaken in order to reinforce “French unity”, reconciling republican ideals and monarchy, as reference to Henry IV who as a protestant (converted to Catholicism), became king of catholic France and preserved peace in Bearn.
Picture 2 is a view from place de la deportation; the renaissance style (but from 19th century) entrance portico links the donjon to the N. III wing.
Looking from North, the same towers are visible, and we see also the massive brick donjon on the left and the tour Billère on the right (picture 3).
From south (picture 4), the chateau looks the most impressive, with this long renaissance wing between the donjon and the middle age tour Mazeres. On the right side of the picture is the bell tower of the Parlement de Navarre (Navarre Parliament).
From west (picture 5), from the gardens (Parc du Domaine National de Pau), on the right is the tour Mazeres and left the Tour Louis Philippe (19th century).
Despite numerous changes and renovations, this castle seems to have an architectural unity and coherence, from outside.
Written Dec 30, 2006
Address: Musée national du château 64000 Pau
Phone: 05 59 82 38 02
Website: http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
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