Château-Vieux – Old Castle

Bayonne’s story begins in the 1st century with a Roman fort built to protect the troops stationed here, in a town they called Lapurdum. The Romans eventually left in the 4th century, and the Vascones took over, naming this region, which stretched across southwestern France, Vasconia. Following the invasions of the Visigoths, a tribe of Germanic peoples, Vasconia became Gasconia, and finally, the Gascony we all know today. In the 10th century, the town was renamed Baiona, meaning “good river” in Basque, and its port became one of the most important on the Atlantic coast. A century later, in 1023, Bayonne became the capital of Labourd, ruled by the Viscount of Labourd. It’s been part of this province ever since. The Viscount lived in Bayonne and decided to build a keep on the site of the ancient Roman castrum, which was expanded and reinforced over the centuries to become the imposing castle it is today. In the 17th century, the famous architect Vauban went on to build the ramparts and reinforce the castle’s defenses. Today, the Château-Vieux is an important landmark in Bayonne, standing as a testament to the city’s rich medieval and Roman past. Some of its towers were even built from the remains of those that once stood in the Roman castrum.