Castle of Pau

In the center of the old city of Pau, in the Béarn, draws up the castle of Pau , famous to have seen the birth of the king of France and Navarre Henri IV. This castle carries today the marks of this imposing presence: the various representations of “good king” Henri decorate the walls of all shares. But the castle, much older makes some than the association of the Navarrese and French kingdoms, carries in him the tormented marks of the modern history, under the benevolent figure of the “gallant Vert”.

Origins

The castle of Pau was founded with the Moyen-âge. Work before any soldier, it is a strong Château typical, built in top of the small hill which dominates the Gave delimited by the Ravin of Hédas.

As of its construction, the castle takes an importance symbolic system. Equipped with a palisade of piles ( Pau , as inhabitant of Béarn) it indicates, by Métonymie, the city even. These piles, symbolizing fidelity and uprightness, present each one like the axis mundi , in a version inhabitant of Béarn. At the 12th century Gaston IV of Béarn builds three turns with this fortress They are named Mazères, Billère and Montauser.

Gaston Fébus

The 14th century sees appearing a character emblematic of Béarn, and which leaves its trace to the castle of Pau: Gaston III of Foix-Béarn, better known under the name of Gaston Phébus . It lord of war, in delicate situation since, from its possessions, under the control surface of the enemy kingdoms of France and of England, fact of Béarn, “gift of God”, a plain and independent area. For that, it acts since its center: the castle. Fébus built there the keep out of bricks, high of thirty-three meters, and engraves the inscription there: “ Febus me Fe ” (“Phébus made me”, as inhabitant of Béarn).

Kings de Navarre

With the Rebirth, the installation of the court of Navarre in 1512 modifies the aspect of the castle appreciably. Of fortress which it was at the beginning, it becomes a residence of approval. Henri d' Albret resides at it accompanied by his wife Marguerite of Angouleme, sister of François Ier, and more known under the name of Marguerite de Navarre, author of the Heptaméron . They mark the place of their initial, present on the walls and the ceilings, and which one took care to preserve and reproduce during the later restorations.

Henri IV

But it is their grandson who gives to the castle the reputation that it has today: not by some architectural company, nor even by its own will. The future Henri IV tries hard to be born on December 13rd, 1553 to with it, and the history made the remainder. The fame of this king, rocked little boy in a carapace tortoise preciously preserved by the Inhabitants of Béarn through the vicissitudes of the revolutions, gives to the castle, which did not see it growing nor to die, a particular taste, and the right good to claim the honors due to those which give birth to supermen. But the true recognition of the king is posthumous, and one quickly forgot the castle which saw it being born, except joining together Navarre and Béarn with the kingdom of France (Louis XIII signed this treaty in 1620 there).

Restoration

Louis-Philippe, which wanted to combine the ideals of the Révolution and those of monarchy, had the idea to restore the castle of that which reconciled catholic and Protestant to make a royal residence of it. It will however not reside at it.

The castle was used especially as prison gilded in 1848 with the emir Abd El-Kader, overcome by France in Algérie. As it was necessary that this castle preserved its character henrician, one placed there very many objects neo-gothic neo-Rebirth and as well as a splendid collection of tapestries (XVI°- XIX° S), to point out the sumptuous time of the good king. Louis-Philippe, exiled in England, could never remain in this place which accepted the visit of Napoleon III. Him the gantry Renaissance style is owed by which one enters and who carries the initial ones of the royal couple of Navarre, initiator of the modern castle.

Nowadays

Then the castle became presidential residence under the Republic. It is currently a National museum which shelters the works preserved since the time of Henri IV and especially at the time of the restoration operated by Louis-Philippe. The collections increase each year around the set of themes henrician. It accommodates currently more than 100.000 visitors per annum.

See too

External bonds

Official site of the national museum of the Castle of Pau.

Virtual Gallery National museum High-definition of the Castle of Pau.

Personal site around the castle of Pau.

the castle of Pau, a place to be able.

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