Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
history.]] races his Fortec British Formula Three car on the Pau circuit in 2006.]] .]] .]]
Pau is a commune on the northern edge of the Pyrenees, a city in the 'préfecture' of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département in France. It is the capital of the Béarn region. It forms the communauté d'agglomération of Pau-Pyrénées with 13 neighbouring communes to carry out local tasks together. The Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, founded in 1972, means there is a high student population. The Boulevard des Pyrénées is 1.8km from the Château de Pau to the Parc du Beaumont, with views of the mountains. Alphonse de Lamartine said: "Pau has the world's most beautiful view of the earth just as Naples has the most beautiful view of the sea."
Origin of name
The origin of the name is uncertain. One tradition suggests it is a corruption of pal, from the palings around the original château. Another is that the name refers to a ford across the river administered by the church, the pious. More recent research suggests the pre-Indo-European word for a rockface was pal or bal and that the name refers to Pau's position at the foot of the mountains. The name of the town appeared in the 12th century. The inhabitants of the city are known as palois. Their motto is Urbis palladium et gentis.
Geography
Pau is 100km from the Atlantic and 50km from the Pyrenees. Spain is 50km away in a straight line. The frontier is crossed by the col du Somport (1,631m) and the col du Pourtalet (1,794m). Access to the crossings partly accounts for Pau's strategic importance. The city stands on a 200m elevation overlooking the valley of a mountain river called the Gave de Pau, where a ford gave passage to the Pyrenees.The Gave, which becomes a torrent when mountain snow melts, begins in the Cirque de Gavarnie. It is the principal tributuary of the Adour after 175km. The crossing was used for pasturage of sheep in the high meadows. The old route is now a hiking path, GR 65, that runs 60km south to the border.
The other rivers of the region are the »de Béarn, tributary of the Luy, the Ousse, and the Ousse des Bois, which flow into the Gave de Pau, and the Uzan, which joins the Luy de Béarn.
Pau is 200km west of Toulouse, 30km from Tarbes and Lourdes, 25km from Oloron. The conglomeration of Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz is at 110km, Bordeaux 190km. Pau is served by the airport of Pau-Pyrénées 10km away. There are limited scheduled flights to Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, London, Lyon and Paris.
a TGV rail line on the line to Paris and from Bayonne to Tolouse, and the A64 autoroute to the east. The A65, due for completion in 2010, will link Pau with Bordeaux.
The Funiculaire de Pau links the city centre and Boulevard des Pyrénées to the railway station in the valley. The Société des Transports de l'Agglomération Paloise (STAP) operates 13 urban bus routes, serving Pau and the adjoining communes.
In 1188, Gaston VI assembled his cour majour there, predecessor of the conseil souverain. Gaston VII added a third tower in the 13th century. Gaston Febus - Gaston III - added a brick dungeon.
Pau was birthplace of Henry IV of France (1553–1610). His mother, Jeanne d'Albret, crossed France to ensure her son would be born there. The baby's lips were moistened with wine and rubbed with garlic shortly after birth. When Henry IV left Pau to become King of France, he remarked to local notables that he was not giving Béarn to France but giving France to Béarn.
Napoleon III refurbished the château and Pau added streets of Belle Époque architecture, before fashion transferred to Biarritz. Pau is still a centre for winter sports and equestrian events, with a steeplechase. Charles XIV of Sweden was born in Pau, in 1763.
In the center of Pau there is a magnificent castle, the Château de Pau, that dominates that quarter of the city. It is famous for being the birthplace of the 16th century king of France Henry IV and was once used by Napoleon as a holiday home during his period of power. It has a small garden that was tended by Marie Antoinette when she spent much of the summers in the city. The château now is considered a French historical monument and contains a nice collection of tapestry.
The English discovered Pau and its climate and left their imprint, partly because Wellington left a garrison at Pau on his way to Spain during the Peninsular War against Napoleon. Vacationing British, arriving before the railroadestablished the 'Boulevard des Pyrenées, the first full 18-hole golf course in Europe - laid out in 1856-1860, and still in existence- and a real tennis court.
Pau is home to Section Paloise, the city's rugby union team, which plays in the second French division known as Pro D2. Most recently in 2000, it won the European Challenge Cup, a top European trophy. French International player Damien Traille once played for the team and is a native to the city. The city also has a football (soccer) team, Pau FC.
Pau is home to the first golf course on continental Europe, laid out in 1856. Since May 2007, the converted trinquet has reopened to its original sport, real tennis, on Sundays.
Since 1930, Pau has become a mainstay of the Tour de France cycling race, thanks both to its geographical location and to its marvelous infrastructure. Pau hosted its 62nd stage in 2008, and only one other city besides Paris has done better.
In 2008, between August 11-23, Pau hosted the 83rd French Chess Championship. The men's event was won by Étienne Bacrot, on tie-break from Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, while the women's event resulted in a victory for Sophie Milliet. Thirty-six players took part. Pau was previously the Championship venue in 1943 and 1969.
For amateur joggers the Gave de Pau river banks footpath is a most valued itinerary, which starts near the castle and passes along Pau's golf course heading west. Another spot is Pont-Long wood north of the town.
Pau held the first race to be called a Grand Prix in 1901. After that the 1928 French Grand Prix was held in nearby Saint-Gaudens, Pau also wanted to arrange the race and in 1930 the French Grand Prix was held on a Le Mans-type track outside the city with Philippe Étancelin winning for Bugatti. Pau returned to the calendar in 1933 with a track in centre inspired by Monaco.
The track, 2,769km long, is winding and has remained largely unchanged. The first curve is the station hairpin. After that the road climbs on the Avenue Léon Say, alongside the stone viaduct that carries the Boulevard de Pyrenées, to Pont Oscar. A tunnel is followed by the narrow hairpin at the Louis Barthou high school that leads the track into the demanding Parc Beaumont section at the top of the town. After the Casino garden and another hairpin, the track winds back to the start along the Avenue Lacoste.
Pau traditionally opened the season but mid-February for the 1933 GP meant the race took place in a snowstorm with sludge. After a one year pause the race was back in 1935 with Tazio Nuvolari dominating in an Alfa Romeo P3 entered by Scuderia Ferrari. The 1936 race saw the only major victory for the Maserati V8-R1, driven by Ètancelin. In 1937 the race was part of the French sports car series with Jean-Pierre Wimille dominating, running three to four seconds a lap faster than the rest of the field. GP racing was back in 1938 and Pau became a test track for Mercedes-Benz before the Grandes Epreuves.
The 1938 race saw René Dreyfus' Delahaye sensationally beating the Mercedes-Benz team. In 1939 Mercedes wasn't to be taken by surprise, Hermann Lang leading the team to a double victory. After the war Pau continued as a non-championship Formula 1 race until 1963. Thereafter the race was run to Formula 2 rules until the sport was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985. In 1999, the event again changed, with Formula Three cars racing.
History
The site was fortified in the 11th century Histoire de Pau, p 11-15 to control the ford across the Gave de Pau. It was built on the north bank, equi-distant from Lescar, seat of the bishops, and from Morlaàs. and became the seat of the viscounts of Béarn. Pau was made capital of Béarn in 1464. During the early 16th century, the Château de Pau, made more habitable by Gaston III, count of Foix, became the residence of the kings of Navarre, who were also counts of Béarn.
Economy
From the 1950s to the 1990s Pau depended on the production of natural gas and sulphur dioxide which were discovered nearby at Lacq. Today the mainstays of the Béarn area are the oil business, the aerospace industry through the helicopter manufacturer Turbomeca, tourism and agriculture. Pau was the birthplace of Elf Aquitaine, which has now become a part of Total.
Military presence
Pau is the home of the French military's Ècole des troupes aéroportées, which trains and certifies military paratroops.
Sport
The local basketball team, Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez have been French champions five times in the last ten years- most recently in 2004. Famous former players include Boris Diaw, Mickael Pietrus and Johan Petro.
Births
Pau was the birthplace of:
Twin towns
Pau has been twinned with