This is one of the nice off the beaten path towns of the old Béarn area of my belle France. We love it in the area and would like to show you more of Lescar’s wonderful monuments, Lescar is located at 6.5 km west of Pau; it is also 52 km north of Urdos, which allows the passage to Spain (via the Col du Somport), heck yeah for many years our route even before the tunnel was built !!! Well I have been by here a lot ,,,,By the way, the City is the Pyrénées Atlantiques dept 64 of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, Therefore, here is my take again on curiosities of Lescar, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Cathedral of Our Lady (Notre Dame) of the Assumption (see post) ; the Kings and Queens of Navarre choose to be buried from 1483 to 1555. It is considered the most imposing Romanesque building in Béarn old region. A masterpiece of Romanesque art in Béarn, the cathedral was built between the end of the 11C and the first half of the 12C. Consecrated in 1145, the cathedral has typical Romanesque architectural layouts. These are illustrated by harmonious proportions, a wide nave with semi-circular barrel vault, transverse barrel aisles, large cruciform pillars with engaged columns, a choir with a monumental apse and two apsidioles vaulted in culde-four, narrow windows now obstructed. The many sculpted capitals and modillions testify to the influence of Romanesque sculpture along the Ways of Saint-James of Compostella (Santiago) and particularly to the influence of Saint-Sernin de Toulouse. The windows with flamboyant Gothic tracery were installed in the 16C. A Bishopric and seat of a community of Augustinian canons, the cathedral received between the 15C and 16C, the burials of the last sovereigns of Navarre. From 1563, the cathedral was dedicated to Protestant worship, on the decision of Queen Jeanne d’Albret. It then suffered the vagaries of religious wars. In 1610, it was returned to Catholic worship. The creation of the stalls, the paintings of the choir and the gilded wooden altars are the symbols of this return to Catholicism. The organ was installed in the 18C, the instrumental part was redone in the 19C. During the French revolution, the bishopric was abolished and the cathedral became a parish church.
The Parc de Bilaà park is done in a fortified site, dating from the 2nd-1st century BC, was to serve as a refuge for the surrounding populations. Dominating the valley of the Gave, the oppidum extends over approximately 3 hectares with earth levees that can reach 6 to 7 meters in height. A very nice rustique natural setting, you can climb from the bottom parking lot thru the river and up the ruins into the high city and the Cathedral. Here was the old bishophery from the 6C and from the 10C a baptistry dedicated to Saint-John-the Baptist. Later a repenting soldier built a chapel , “Loup-Fort”,where it was dedicated to Saint Mary. The castle was built in 1853, a neo-classical style residence, illustrating the fashion of the time. A chapel, inspired by the choir of the cathedral of Lescar, was added in 1861. The Ariste family had an English-style garden laid out around the castle made up of exotic species such as cedar, redwood, or American oak. After two fires in the 1970s, the castle fell into disrepair. Became property of the town of Lescar and restored between 2005 and 2011,The former castle now houses the City/Town Hall since February 14, 2011.
The former Episcopal Palace is a fortified building, now largely ruined, which served as the residence of the Bishops of Lescar from the 14C until its destruction during the French revolution. The site is today occupied by the Place de l’Évêché, and only two towers remain of the palace. On the west side, the Tour de l’Esquirette, which adjoins the gate of the same name, where a small door leading to a room is still visible, may have served as a prison. The Bishop’s Tower, which is on the other side of the square, was also part of the city’s fortifications. The cellars of the palace are also preserved and are now occupied by the Art and Culture Museum of Lescar, where you can see archaeological collection dating from the Neolithic period to Antiquity !
The lower town of Lescar represents the heart of the ancient Beneharnum. Archaeologists have exhumed in the district of Bialé 178 traffic lanes, sewers, foundations of houses, as well as ditches. Still on the Domaine Saint Michel, the remains of the funeral enclosure La Tourette are discovered dating from the lower empire period of Rome. Several elements discovered on the site are exposed to the museum of Lescar, including furniture and a mosaic of 6.5 meters long on 3.3 meters wide.
The City of Lescar sits on the east-west axis by the A64 highway ( aka La Pyrénéenne). A highway exchanger to reach the new highway A65 ; (aka Autoroute de Gascogne), crossing the A64 on the territory of the town and allowing to reach Langon in the north. The town is also served by the old national Roads RN117, Route de Bayonne, and RN417 (forming part of the Beltway of Pau) which are grouped under the RD817 (super road connecting to many areas of Pau and out to other towns, great). We love our freedom on the roads here !
The city of Lescar on its heritage :https://www.lescar.fr/attractive/ville-historique/patrimoine/patrimoine-architectural
The local Pau Pyrénnées tourist office on Lescar’s heritage : https://en.tourismepau.com/discover/pau-much-more-than-you-expected/lescar-medieval-city/
There you go folks, another splendid off the beaten path town of my belle France. The lovely City of Lescar is worth a detour indeed me think ! Again, hope you enjoy the post on curiosities of Lescar, part II !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 