The Navarre Parliament

The white building in the square tells the story of a significant part of Pau’s history. Today, it houses the Pyrenees Atlantique Departmental General Council. However, it has served many other functions in the past. Look at its tower, for example – it looks exactly like a campanile! It was once the bell tower of the Saint-Martin church, which was demolished to build a bigger one a little further from it. It then became the tower of a courthouse, built in 1585 following the instructions of Henri IV. The building became a Parliament in 1620, when Béarn and Navarre were officially attached to the crown of France. For those who are somehow confused, Navarre was a territory straddling what is now France and Spain, divided in two by the Pyrenees. So you had Upper Navarre in Spain and Lower Navarre in France, which is the part we’re interested in here. You may be wondering why this territory wasn’t attached earlier, when Henry IV, King of Navarre, became King of France. Well, during his reign, the two crowns technically became one, but the king, aware of the expectations of the people of Béarn, decided to maintain their autonomy, thereby ensuring their loyalty and avoiding unnecessary revolts. In order to strengthen his authority and centralise his power, his son Louis XIII decided to annex Béarn and Navarre to France once and for all. As a result, a parliament, also known as a sovereign court, was needed to administer justice in the name of the king. These institutions existed in all the provinces of France, and were dissolved during the Revolution. This was the result of the establishment of a centralised administration and the abolition of feudal organisations. The building was then used for a variety of administrative functions, including a primary school, a museum, archives and even a military clothing shop, before being bought and restored by the Department. Well, that’s it for the past, who knows what the future holds? Let’s move on to the beautiful Pau castle.