I have written several posts on Pau, one of the memorable cities of my belle France! ,and even used it as a base for the region as well as waiting for the Tour de France bike race! However, I have overlook this nice Church Saint Jacques or St James’s Church in city center, next to the courthouse, and I like to update this older post to tell you a bit more about it. Hope you enjoy it as we did.
The Saint-Jacques (St James) Church is located in the heart of the city next to the courthouse in Pau. It occupies the site of an old chapel, of the same name, built in 1651 by the order of the Cordeliers. Pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela were welcomed there. Inside, you must see the consecration crosses in Arudy marble, the solid oak stelae made by Mignou, master cabinetmaker from Pau, four paintings by Mauricet representing the different periods of the life of Saint Jacques, the Gothic pulpit carved oak, This church is unmissable !
The work on the Saint Jacques Church started as early as July 1861 and was finally completed in 1868, three years before the inauguration of the Saint-Martin Church (see post). The Saint-Jacques Church is a neo-Gothic style with three naves, transept and choir. There has been lots of work here over the years and finally the church found its two spires towers in 2012. These are now 22 meters high, compared to 17 meters previously, and each weigh 19 tonnes including 3.5 tonnes of zinc.
The Saint-Jacques Church has 54 stained glass windows. There are some stained glass windows in the chapel made by the Mauméjean family in a different Art Nouveau style. In the transept, three camouflaged canvases represent the Virgin in glory surrounded by angel musicians and choirboys who sing the Salve Regina. In the upper arches see biblical figures In the choir, the canvases mounted on the apse illustrate four episodes of the gesture of Saint James (Santiago) vocation, preaching, martyrdom, battle of Clavijo with the apostolic college.
The Saint Jacques Church bell drone was donated by Henri-Gaston de Galard, from the Galard family. He will give it the first name of his wife, Cécile, and will be melted in 1880 by the famous workshops of Léon Bollée. Cécile is a bumblebee of 2 meters in diameter by 3 meters in height, it weighs naked 6 tons. Cécile, along with the five bells that accompany her, found her place in June 2012. The Tribune organ is from 1870 with numerous restorations carried out since in order to preserve this instrument. The Choir organ, for its part, was made in 1999 from salvage elements. This organ is used to accompany the assembly choir every Sunday, thus accompanying the tribune organ.
As you have , not much written on it on the web and my information comes from books and magazines like Secrets d’Histoire and Detours.
The Diocese of Pau on St Jacques Church: http://diocese64.org/annuaire/eglise/731-saint-jacques
The Pau Pyrénées tourist office on the heritage of Pau : https://www.pau-pyrenees.com/home/notre-patrimoine/les-immanquables
There you go folks, a dandy Church of St James right in city center and next to the courthouse of Pau; another wonderful monument of pretty Pau in dept 64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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