The castles

The castle of Pau  At the beginning it was headland, strategically overlooking the Gave de Pau river ... Then a few wooden piles were driven into the ground by way of a hunting lodge. These were then flanked by a fortification tower which transformed it into a small medieval castle. Over the years, the ups and downs of life, and alliance and power games, transformed the fortress into a fortified place and engraved the site once and for all in the history of the town, of the Bearn, of the Navarre and in the end of France. It became a castle and then a royal birthplace. A host of extensions and transformations have been carried out on the building over the years in line with strategic and artistic trends. Today, it represents a major example of our history ... CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
The "Febusian" fortresses Gaston III, viscount of the Foix-Bearn house, decided to change name and re-named himself Gaston Fébus. He was a fine diplomat and an excellent warrior and hunter. He proclaimed Bearn to be neutral during the French-English conflict of the Hundred years' war. He stated that he only held the land from God and from his sword.
Thanks to his fortified land, Bearn became a sovereign principality which was distinct and separate from the French kingdom. This was the case until 1620. With his modern army, he built military buildings and huge fortresses throughout his states. His architect, Sicard de Lordat, systematically used the Languedoc technique of stone-building which enabled the defensive part of the fortress, which was indispensable for its safety, to be built quickly. Febus, who was a great and brilliant figure, played one of the most important roles in the History of the Bearn. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
The seigneurial estates  These buildings, which are often called "castles", were the majority of the time nothing more than resting places, hunting lodges, lay abbeys or temporary residences for the nobles who were passing through. A few beautiful residences were also barony homes which were transformed over the years into manor houses or large luxurious homes. These buildings are very often surrounded by beautiful estates with elegant parks and gardens, thus increasing the value of the property as a whole. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE