Oloron-Sainte-Marie

Oloron -Sainte -Marie is a French town with 10,854 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Pyrénées- Atlantiques in the Aquitaine region. It is the seat of the prefecture (French Sous- préfecture ) of the arrondissements of Oloron -Sainte -Marie, which consists of twelve cantons.

• 4.1 Church of Sainte -Marie
• 4.2 Other points of interest

Geography

Oloron -Sainte -Marie is the capital of Béarn, an old French province bordering the Basque Country. The city lies on the Gave d' Oloron, which is created through the confluence of the Gave d' Aspe and Ossau Gave d'. Through the city's Via Tolosana, one of the French parts of the Camino leads to Santiago de Compostela. She turns here to the south to the Pyrenees and runs along the Gave d' Aspe up to the Col du Somport and the border to Spain. Through this valley to the National Highway 134 leads to Jaca in Spain.

History

Oloron is a Roman foundation, which was first mentioned in the 3rd century under the name Iluro. 506 taking part in the Synod of Agde, a bishop of Oloron part. After that a bishop is mentioned again until 1058. Perhaps the city had been abandoned in the meantime.

1080, the construction of fortifications and a church on the headland between the Gave d' Aspe and Ossau Gave d' starting under the name of Saint- Croix. There was also the castle of the Viscount of Béarn. From 1102 Built Gaston IV de Bearne on the left bank of the church and later Cathedrale Ste -Marie d' Oloron as the seat of the bishop.

After 1214 the Vicomte Gaston VI. , Who had been a Cathar, was forced to resign as a result of the Albigensian Crusade, the property to Sainte -Marie to the bishop, were both places until the 19th century formally separate, even though Sainte -Marie always economically from was Oloron -dependent.

1802, the diocese of Oloron was dissolved. 1858 there was a merger of the two places.

Economy

In Oloron a chocolate factory of Lindt & Sprüngli is established.

Particularly well known are the manufactories in Oloron, in which the native Basque caps here and espadrilles are made.

Traffic

In Oloron of exploiting dividend in operating section of the railway line Pau - Canfranc that is more stretch over Bedous after Canfranc in Spain since 1970 ends, partly decommissioned until 1980. On the way to Pau Regional trains in 2 -hour intervals.

Attractions

Church Sainte -Marie

From the originally started in 1102 church only a few remains are preserved: some capitals in the transept and the main portal and the pillars on which rests the bell tower.

After the destruction of the Albigensian Crusade, the church was rebuilt in the 13th century. 1302 burned down the nave, and a new reconstruction in Gothic style was necessary. Further modifications were made in the 17th and 19th centuries.

The church has three naves, which are adjoined each two chapels. The ends of the transepts extend beyond their expansion. Also choir and ambulatory are surrounded by a ring of chapels. The vaults are designed as cross-ribbed vault. The massive influence of the church dates from the three squat towers: one above the south transept, one above the choir and the bell tower, which forms an open porch in front of the west portal.

The Romanesque portal consists of two doors, carry a column between the two atlases. Above it rises a semicircular tympanum, divided by two smaller semi-circles on the individual doors. The three resulting fields are designed as reliefs in marble. The bottom two have been replaced in the restoration in the 19th century and were originally probably other scenes. Except for the capitals originate all other parts of the 12th century. However, they were designed recognizable by two different artists: The Archivolte with its decorative figures in the vault and the two lateral sculptures representing death according to Celtic tradition (on the left in the form of the Provencal Tarasque, a man-eating monster, but received its victims into the kingdom of Christ is because it is wearing a dress together with a belt, which closes it chaste and is designed in the form of a lying cross as a positive symbol, and right as a rider whose horse a bearded, ie sinful man trampling ) of the Romanesque art from the mid- 12th century, while the middle marble field is reminiscent of the work of an ivory carver. It shows once in the Béarn, the Descent from the Cross in a way, as it is known from Byzantine art. Joseph of Arimathea lifts the body of Jesus from the cross, while the left hand triggers Nicodemus and Mary take the right. About the arms of the cross the sun and moon are shown.

The Church of Sainte -Marie is awarded since 1998 as part of the World Heritage Site by UNESCO " Camino de Santiago in France."

Additional points of interest

• The Romanesque church of Saint -Croix in the year 1080, has a central dome in the Byzantine style. She gave the oldest district of Oloron her name.
• The Tour de Grede, a residential tower dating from the 13th/14th. century
• The neo-Romanesque church of Notre -Dame from the 19th century, with its 52-meter high church tower
• In the Parc Pomme are over 400 different species of trees to be found.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Gaston IV de Bearne, Viscount († 1131 )
• Antoine Germain Labarraque, French pharmacist and chemist (1777-1850)
• Louis Barthou, French politician (1862-1934)
• Martial Singher, French opera singer and music teacher (1904-1990)

Twinning

• Jaca, Spain