Designed
at the start of the 13th century, Lamothe castle, more commonly known as Moumour
castle was the summer
retreat of the Bishops of Oloron
Sainte Marie from
the 13th to 18th century.
In
addition to the title of Baron Moumour, the Bishops benefited from holding smallholdings
in usufruct, including the very attractive one on the other side of the river Vert.
They were also the owners of the canal and, at the same time, the fullers, the marble
workshop and the mill which they operated. The mill was by far the most important
since it gave full control over wheat and millet production.
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to enlarge
To
fully understand what the chateau represented, it should be seen from below, arriving
by the chemin du Vert. It has still retained an element of mystery, a stately and
respectable side. Perched on its rock, in the age of catapults, arrows and swords,
it was inaccessible and impregnable; what a view there must have been from up there
when you know that the west wing was nothing less than a tall, square tour.
<< View south towards the outside of the property, from above
the
gateway porch.
The
rocky spur that the chateau was built on is first mentioned in the 8th and 9th centuries
by a historian who reported a lookout post there with shelters for the lookouts and
their families.
Damaged
during the Wars of Religion (16th century), the chateau was restored by Monseigneur
de REVOL who reduced the square tower to the level of the other buildings, and built
a chapel on the gateway terrace, as well as the building known as the orangery with
its very attractive south-facing gallery.
The
Bishop was dispossessed of the chateau in 1789. It was sold with its outbuildings
on 3 March 1791, to the LAMOTHE D’INCAMPS family, for the sum of
89,542 pounds.
The
new owners added a further floor to the chateau, and lowered the pentagonal tower
by 8 metres following lightning damage on 27 June 1830. They added
the false battlements by which it was known in 1958. The chapel was destroyed
in the 19th century.
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to enlarge
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The
pentagonal tower in detail:
The
construction of the pentagonal tower (a copy of the MONCADE tower in ORTHEZ) completed
the chateau’s defences. It is in fact a square tower, one side of which, that
facing potential attack, is made up of two faces. Why? So that the projectiles of
the time (catapult balls, arrows, etc.) would not strike perpendicularly, but at
an angle. They would therefore ricochet and lose much of their power. The walls of
the tower are 1.30 m thick at the base. The ground floor was windowless and
used as a grain store. Access was via the first floor, using an outside staircase;
ladders inside gave access to the other two floors. The tower was 23 m high
until 27 June 1830 when it was struck by lightning and lowered by 8 metres.
Click to enlarge *
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to enlarge
Located
at the gateway to the Pyrenees,
Moumour castle is the ideal departure point for visiting renowned attractions less
than one hour away by car: the Ossau, Aspe and
Barétous valleys, Pau, Lourdes, the Basque
country and Spain.
*
Gateway porch, from inside the property
Sources:
texts by Gilbert Estécahandy taken from the website describing the village of Moumour.
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