Lourdes Castle: Distant view from the northwest

Date

Circa 1910

An historic castle strategically placed at the entrance to the seven valleys of the Lavedan. It has been listed since 1933 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. The castle's origins go back to Roman times. Today, the oldest remains date from the 11th and 12th centuries and consist of the foundations of the present fortifications. Besieged in 778 by Charlemagne, it became the residence of the Counts of Bigorre in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the 17th century, the castle became a royal prison, and a state prison after the French Revolution, continuing in this role until the start of the 20th century when it became the Pyrenean Museum (Musée Pyrénéen) (1921) which it remains.