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Main city of Béarn des gaves, located between Pau and Bayonne and former capital of Béarn from the 13th to the 15th century, Orthez requires a detour in the visit of the region. The homeland of Gaston Fébus was first under the authority of the Gascons before becoming the Béarnaise capital. Gaston VI of Béarn Moncade gave it its letters of nobility, fortifications, castle (of which only the tower remains today), fortified bridge... But under the influence of the wars of religion which strongly shook it, the city has lost its greatness; Jeanne d'Albert, mother of Henri IV, nevertheless built a university there in 1583, but the city then fell into line and the university was abolished when Béarn was annexed to France under Louis XIII.
You will visit today the superb Maison Jeanne d'Albret which also houses the Tourist Office as well as a Museum on the history of Béarnais Protestantism, the Moncade tower, a vestige of the castle, and the magnificent fortified bridge which spans the Gave de Pau.
Francis Jammes, another illustrious character of the city has his museum here, the Chrestia House, where he lived.
Finally, and for sport, Orthez has in its hall of Moutète transformed for a time into a basketball hall, the most famous hall in France where the local team distinguished itself at the highest European level before migrating to the splendid Palais Sports de Pau and become the Béarnais Pau-Orthez momentum, money obliges....
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Main city of Béarn des gaves, located between Pau and Bayonne and former capital of Béarn from the 13th to the 15th century, Orthez requires a detour in the visit of the region. The homeland of Gaston Fébus was first under the authority of the Gascons before becoming the Béarnaise capital. Gaston VI of Béarn Moncade gave it its letters of nobility, fortifications, castle (of which only the tower remains today), fortified bridge... But under the influence of the wars of religion which strongly shook it, the city has lost its greatness; Jeanne d'Albert, mother of Henri IV, nevertheless built a university there in 1583, but the city then fell into line and the university was abolished when Béarn was annexed to France under Louis XIII.
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Province : Orthez and the heart of Béarn
