.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
LA MAISON DE LA FONTAINE
Around the region
History…..
The areas…….
Navarre
The Kingdom of Pamplona and Navarre (as it was known) took its origins from the territory of the Vascones, a pre-Roman tribe who inhabited the southern slopes of the Western Pyrenees and part of the Bay of Biscay. It was conquered by the Romans in 74BC. The Kingdom of Navarre proper began traditionally in 987 when Sancho II Garces, the seventh King of Pamplona coined the title. Much of the Spanish part of the Kingdom of Navarre was broken up following the deaths of various rulers, but the northern part, in addition to the principality of Béarn (see below) remained largely independent for many years, passing by inheritance. The area played a large part in the French Wars of Religion: Queen Jeanne III converted to Calvinism in 1556 and, consequently, promoted a translation of the Bible into the Basque language, which is one of the first books published in the language. She and especially her son, Henry III of Navarre, led the Huguenot party in the aforementioned wars. In 1589, however, Henry became the sole rightful claimant to the crown of France, though he was not recognized as such by many of his subjects until his conversion to Catholicism four years later. Henry IV retained the title of King of Navarre even after his accession to the French throne. This title was used by the French Kings until the French Revolution, but was revived again during the Restoration (1814-30).
Béarn
First mentioned in the 9th century, Béarn is thought to have its origins in the Roman town of beneharnum in modern day Lescar, just north of Pau. Later on, Béarn was principally controlled by two noble families, the Albrets and the Bourbons; the royal families of Navarre. It was eventually annexed into the kingdom of France in 1620 after the death of Henry IV of France, also known as Henry of Navarre, who had refused to do so during his reign, famously stating: “I give France to Béarn, but not Béarn to France.”
Pays Basque
The origins of the Basque people pre date the Indo-European settlements of mainland Europe; the language of the native people is very different from Gaelic and the Romantic, Slavic and Germanic languages spoken elsewhere in Europe. Caesar, on conquering Gaul, found that the Aquitani (modern day Basques) were quite unlike the Gauls, in that they were obviously not Celtic.
At one time the Pays Basque, both the French and Spanish sides, was part of the kingdom of Navarre. The Kingdom was split into 7 provinces which, together, made up an independent country: 4 on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees and 3 on the French (Soule, Basse-Navarre and Labourde). It had no allegiance to either France or Spain, but was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century and separated into two provinces, Basse (France) and Haute (Spain). To this day there remain those who strive for the independence of the region, although this is generally felt more strongly on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees.
The towns……
Navarrenx
Navarrenx is first mentioned in 1078, and since its origin, has been a fortified town. In 1316 fortifications were introduced, the remains of which can be seen in the town square and the sharp angular streets. However, in 1523 Philibert de Chalon utterly destroyed the defenses, calling for total reconstruction from 1542-9 under the supervision of the Italian architect Fabricio Siciliano, employed for this purpose by Henry d’Albret and Marguerite of Angoulême. Siciliano added 4 bastions, modeling Navarrenx’s fortifications on the Tuscan Lucca. In 1569 these fortifications were put to the test, with Navarrenx housing the Béarnais Huguenots from March until July from the persecution of Antoine de Lomagne, until the help of Gabriel de Montgomery arrived. The visit of Louis XIII in 1620 marked the unification of Béarn and Navarre with France, and also marked the reconversion to Catholicism; Louis XIII somewhat interestingly reestablished Catholicism in the very church in which his grandmother, Jeanne d’Albret, had announced the region’s conversion to Calvinism in 1563. In 1871, owing to the unanimous clamouring of the residents, the garrison was removed from the town and since that day has lost its status as place de guerre.
Sauveterre-de-Béarn
Sauveterre was originally built as a walled refuge (hence the name) from the turbulent times of the Dark Ages. The bridge spanning the Gave d’Oloron was one of the main routes to Spain and as a consequence of this the town grew in importance, frequented by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela among other pilgrimage destinations. Local legend has it that in 1170, Queen Sancie, the widow of the recently deceased Gaston V of Béarn was thrown, hands and feet bound, from this bridge into the Gave to undergo the Judgment of God at the accusation of the murder of her newborn and disabled son; surviving, she was declared innocent. Unfortunately only a small fragment of this bridge survives, which can still be seen today, jutting into the course of the river. The remains of the fortifications, such as the Tour Montréal, circa 13th century, show how important the town was in its day; its prominent position allowed for look-outs for Spanish or Basque invasion.
Salies-de-Béarn
According to legend, the founding of 17th century Salies occurred when a wild boar, having been wounded by hunters, made its way to a marsh in the middle of the forests which covered the terrain at that time. The hunters, finding the boar in an exceptionally well-preserved state some several days later, discovered that the marshes surrounding the area contained a significant degree of salt. Owing to the high value of salt in such times, this astonishing discovery led to the formation of the town in the immediate surrounding area. As a result, the symbol of the city is a wild boar. Legend aside, however, Salies dates from the 10th century and the waters, which contain 10 times more salt than seawater, have been utilised for over 3500 years.
The salt waters of Salies were renowned during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and numerous luxurious hotels sprung up to accommodate the prestigious clientele. During the Second World War, the demarcation line passed right through Salies, with the occupied zone on one side, and free France the other.
Saint-Palais
The name Saint-Palais is derived from Pelayo, the name of a martyred youth who died at Cordoue in 926. From the 13th century onwards, it stood as a town of Navarrois royal importance. Henry II of Navarre had his chancellery in the town, amongst other institutions. The Friday market, the winter lamb markets and the Easter Monday horse market were appointed in 1472 by Jean d’Albret, King of Navarre.
Mauléon
In 1261 Edward I of England captured Mauléon, and forced the viscounts of Soule to submit to him. In order to strengthen his hold, he decided to fortify the town. The castle dates from the 11th century and is listed as an archaeological site of significance. Today, the town is locally known for its fine espadrilles, themselves celebrated every 15th August.
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron was originally a Roman settlement dating from the 1st century AD. In 1080 the ancient Roman town was modernized and fortified by Viscount Centulle V. The towns of Oloron and Sainte-Marie, although now conglomerated, were rivals for near enough 8 centuries. This rivalry was only dissipated in 1858 when the two were unified by the Second Empire. For many years Oloron was the economic capital of Béarn, owing to the easy access to Spain and the associated trading routes. The French Wars of Religion temporarily suspended this affluence. The tour de Grède dates from the Middle Ages and the Château de Légugnon from the 16th century.
Orthez
Traditionally Orthez was the hometown of the Béarnais Viscounts. Although the residence of the Viscounts was moved to Pau in 1460, it remained for a long time the largest and most dynamic town in Béarn. It continued to prosper throughout the 17th and 18th centuries due to the growth in Atlantic trading, and many merchants settled there, building the fine stone houses that still stand today. On the 24th February 1814, the Duke of Wellington gained an important victory over the Napoleonic army led by Soult.
The Old Bridge, noted for its particular architecture and distinctive tower, has played a part in the French Wars of Religion, with reference to Gabriel de Montgomery, and in the Napoleonic Wars.