Lescar, ancient capital of Béarn, located on the right bank of the Gave de Pau, was a Roman city from the 3rd century and then became a bishopric until the French Revolution.
Lescar is reputed to house the Notre-Dame Cathedral, built in the 12th century by Gaston IV "Le Croisé" and classified as a Historic Monument.
This Cathedral shelters a great diversity of medieval decorations: sculpted capitals, a listed baroque organ and a bronze plaque which mentions the burial in this place of the kings and queens of Navarre, including the grandparents of Henri IV. A 17th century mural painting decorates the vault in the apse and depicts the Coronation of the Virgin. Finally, the Cathedral also houses the "Treasure" (12th century crosses ...).
The tourist symbol of Lescar, the small "Moorish hunter" with a wooden leg from the 12th century Romanesque mosaic is also located inside the Cathedral.
And also...
Opposite, is the Museum of Lescar installed in the former cellars of the Episcopal Palace. This museum space presents pieces from protohistory to antiquity.
The Béarn city faces the Pyrenees mountain range. On the heights are the ramparts made of stairs. The medieval Esquiretta gate leads to the prison tower of the Bishopric.
Another characteristic of Lescar is its link with aviation, as evidenced by the Aviation Memorial Chapel built in 1927, which pays tribute to the missing pioneers.
It is decorated with several stained glass windows, including Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, patron saint of aviators, and numerous steles in memory of historical civilian and military aviators who flew in the skies over Pau, such as the Wright brothers in 1909. A small museum presents panels, exhibitions organized by the association "L'Amicale de la Chapelle Mémorial de l'Aviation et du Camp Guynemer", archives and various booklets related to the aviation of Paloise.
Crossed by the road to Arles which follows the GR 653, the Béarn town is a stopover on the Way of St. James of Compostela.
The city is also close to nature with the Lac des Carolins, a lake laid out as a promenade at the gates of the city, the vineyards of Jurançon, the Laroin lake and its sports fishing centre, and the gardens of the Château de Momas.
Guided tours tell the story of Lescar, the Gallo-Roman, Lescar, the medieval. These strolls told around the history of the city can be nocturnal and lit by torches.
Town Hall of Lescar
Allée du Bois d'Ariste, CS 70488
64238 Lescar Cedex
https://bearn-pyrenees.tourisme64.com/territoires/pau/lescar/
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