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Encyclopedia > Pau, France
Commune of Pau
Aquitaine Region flag Coat of arms
The location of Pau is shown on this map of the historical and cultural area of Gascony.
Location
Coordinates 43°18′06″N, 00°22′07″W
Administration
Country France
Region Aquitaine
Department Pyrénées-Atlantiques
(préfecture)
Arrondissement Pau
Canton Chief town of 6 cantons
Intercommunality Communauté d'agglomération de Pau Pyrénées
Mayor Yves Urieta
(2006-2008)
Statistics
Altitude 165 m–245 m
(avg. 178 m)
Land area¹ 31.51 km²
Population²
(1999)
78,732
 - Density (1999) 2,499/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 64445/ 64000
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).
Château de Pau.
Yelmer Buurman races his Fortec British Formula 3 car on the Pau circuit in 2006.
The footpath west from the Château.

Pau is a town of southwestern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département. It is famous for the Boulevard des Pyrénées, a walk of three-quarters of a kilometers from the château to the Parc du Beaumont and the royal Beaumont Park with magnificent views of the mountains in the Pyrenees mountain range. Along the elevated path the iron hand-rails have plaques explaining which mountain is directly infront of you and how high it is. Image File history File links Aquitaine_region_flag. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Location Administration Capital Bordeaux Regional President Alain Rousset (PS) (since 1998) Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Statistics Land area1 41,309 km² Population (Ranked 6th)  - January 1, 2005 est. ... Image File history File links MapOfGascony. ... Map of the historical and cultural area of Gascony. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including independent states (both those that are internationally recognised and generally unrecognised), inhabited dependent territories and areas of special sovereignty. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Location Administration Capital Bordeaux Regional President Alain Rousset (PS) (since 1998) Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Statistics Land area1 41,309 km² Population (Ranked 6th)  - January 1, 2005 est. ... Departments (French: départements) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ... Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Gascon: Pirenèus-Atlantics; Basque: Pirinio-Atlantiarrak or Pirinio-Atlantikoak) is a département in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... The arrondissement of Pau is an arrondissement of France, located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, in the Aquitaine région. ... The cantons of France are administrative divisions subdividing arrondissements and départements. ... The commune is an administrative division of France. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... INSEE is the French abbreviation for the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (French: Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques). ... Postal codes were introduced in France in 1972, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... This page lists English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations, such as and . ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Download high resolution version (553x640, 45 KB)Chateau de Pau From French Wikipedia Château de Pau. ... Download high resolution version (553x640, 45 KB)Chateau de Pau From French Wikipedia Château de Pau. ... Pau is a town of southwestern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département. ... Image File history File links Paucircuit. ... Image File history File links Paucircuit. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 763 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Le funiculaire de Pau le 20 mai 2002. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 763 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Le funiculaire de Pau le 20 mai 2002. ... The funicular railway from below. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 2. ... In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a département. ... Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Gascon: Pirenèus-Atlantics; Basque: Pirinio-Atlantiarrak or Pirinio-Atlantikoak) is a département in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France and many former French colonies, roughly analogous to English counties. ...


The Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (founded in 1972) is situated in the town and accounts for Pau's high student population. LUniversité de Pau et des Pays de lAdour (UPPA), the French for University of Pau and the Adour Region has been founded in 1972. ...

Contents

Geography

Pau was the capital of the former province of Béarn. The site, on a slight elevation overlooking the valley of the mountain river called the Gave de Pau, where it was crossed by a ford, controlled access to an easy passage into the Pyrenees, used annually for the seasonal pasturage of flocks of sheep in the high meadows (now represented by a hiking footpath GR65 that runs about 60 km south to the Spanish border). Access to the pass partly accounts for Pau's strategic importance. The Kingdom of France was organized into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. ... Béarn coat of arms Béarn (Gascon: Bearn or Biarn) is a former province of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. ... The Gave de Pau is a river of south-western France, tributary of the Adour. ... Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees The Pyrenees (Spanish: Pirineos; French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés; Basque: Pirinioak) are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. ...


History

The site was fortified by the 11th century— "pau" means "palissade" in Occitan— the seat of the viscounts of Béarn. Pau was made the capital of Béarn in 1464. In the early 16th century the Château de Pau, made more habitable by Gaston Fébus, count of Foix, became the residence of the kings of Navarre, who were also counts of Béarn, and so it was the birthplace of Henry IV of France (1553–1610), though his mother, the redoubtable Jeanne d'Albret, had to cross the whole of France to ensure that her son was born at Pau. The baby's lips were moistened with the local wine and rubbed with garlic in his first moments. Charles XIV of Sweden was also born at the château, in 1763. The château now is considered a French historical monument and contains a nice collection of tapestry. Occitan, or langue doc is a Romance language characterized by its richness, variability, and by the intelligibility of its dialects. ... Béarn coat of arms Béarn (Gascon: Bearn or Biarn) is a former province of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. ... Béarn coat of arms Béarn (Gascon: Bearn or Biarn) is a former province of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. ... County of Foix in 1328 (Béarn is outside of the map) The independent counts of Foix, with their castle overlooking the town of Foix, now in southernmost France, governed their county of Foix, which corresponded roughly to the eastern part of the modern département of Ariège (the... This is a list of the kings of Navarre. ... Henry IV of France, also Henry III of Navarre (13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. ... King Charles XIV of Sweden, Charles III of Norway, or domestically Karl XIV Johan and Carl III Johan respectively, Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (January 26, 1763 – March 8, 1844) was born at Pau, France, the son of Henri Bernadotte (1711–1780), procurator at Pau, and Jeanne St. ... This article is about tapestry the textile. ...


When Henri IV left Pau to become King of France, he remarked to the local notables that he was not giving Béarn to France, he was giving France to Béarn.


The English discovered the charms of Pau and its climate and left a decided imprint, before the French themselves did, partly because Wellington left a garrison at Pau on his way into Spain. The vacationing British, arriving before the railroad did, established the scenic promenade, 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 (since converted into a trinquet). Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ... This article is about the sport of golf. ... Jeu de paume in the 17th century. ... A trinquete (also trinquet) is a special court for various indoor versions of pelota. ...


Napoleon III refurbished the château, while Pau added streets of Belle Époque architecture, before fashion transferred to Biarritz. Pau is still a major centre for winter sports and for equestrian events, with a famous steeplechase. Napoléon III of France, born Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) was President of the French Republic from 1848 to 1851, then from 2 December 1851 to 2 December 1852 the ruler of a dictatorial government, then Emperor of the French under the name... Biarritz (French: Biarritz, pronounced ; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz; Basque: Miarritze) is a town and commune which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in southwestern France. ... A steeplechase race The steeplechase is a form of horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, and Ireland) and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many...


Château de Pau

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 Henri 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.


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. Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. ... Lacq is a town and commune of southwestern France, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, just northwest of the local capital of Pau. ... Founded in 1938, Turbomeca is one of the leading manufacturers of low and medium-power gas turbine for helicopters. ... Elf logo Elf Aquitaine is a former French oil company merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. ... Total S.A. (Euronext: FP, NYSE: TOT) is a French oil company headquartered in Paris, France. ...


Transport

Pau has an airport, Pau Pyrénées Airport, which is about 10 km away from the centre. The A64 motorway runs across Pau. The Spanish border is about 60 km away from Pau. There are 5 scheduled flights only. They are Air France to Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon airports. Transavia to Amsterdam Schipol airport and Ryanair to London Stansted. Pau Pyrénées Airport is an airport in Pau, France. ...


From the Boulevard des Pyrénées, the Funiculaire de Pau, a newly refurbished funicular railway, takes you to the valley bottom near Pau railway station. The funicular railway from below. ... Angels Flight, Los Angeles, California with gantlet track configuration Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with full length parallel tracks The Gütschbahn in Lucerne, Switzerland – from an 1893 guidebook A funicular, also called funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or, in the United Kingdom, a cliff railway, is a system of...


Sport

Basketball

The local basket ball 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 and Johan Petro. The Élan Béarnais Pau Orthez, is a French basketball club based in Pau. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod (born April 16, 1982 in Cormeilles, France) is a professional basketball player for the NBAs Phoenix Suns. ... Johan Petro (born January 27, 1986 in Paris, France) is a French professional basketball player currently with the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association. ...


Golf

Pau is home to the first golf course on continental Europe, laid out in 1856.


Grand Prix de Pau

Main article: Grand Prix de Pau

Pau holds the honor of arranging the first race ever to be called a Grand Prix in 1901. After that the 1928 French Grand Prix was held in nearby St 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 was back in the race calendar in 1933, now with a Monaco inspired track in the city center. The picturesque Pau Circuit The Grand Prix de Pau is an auto race held annually in Pau, France. ... Georges Boillot winning the 1912 French Grand Prix in Dieppe, France Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organized automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. ... The French Grand Prix is a Formula One race held as part of Fédération Internationale de lAutomobiles annual Formula One automobile racing championship season. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Philippe Étancelin, born December 29, 1896 - died October 13, 1981, was a French Grand Prix motor racing driver who joined the new Formula One circuit at its inception. ... Bugatti is one of the fastest marques of automobile and one of the most exclusive Italian-French car producers of all time. ...


The track, which is 2.769 km in length, is one of the most curious and twisty in the GP history and has remained more or less unchanged into the 1990s. The first curve is the sharp 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 school that leads the track into the demanding Parc Beaumont section at the top of the town. After visiting the Casino garden and passing yet another hairpin, the Virage the Buisson, the track winds its way back to the startline along the Avenue Lacoste.


Pau was traditionally the season opener but selecting mid February as the date for the 1933 GP was to challenge the fate and the race took place in a snowstorm with sludge making the conditions into one of the worst ever in racing history. 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. A winter storm is a storm where the dominant forms of precipitation are forms that occur only at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form. ... Nuvolaris statue in front of PalaLottomatica in Rome. ... The Alfa Romeo P3 was a classic Grand Prix car designed by Vittorio Jano, one of the Alfa Romeo 8C models. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Present Maserati logo A 1957 Maserati 200SI at the Scarsdale Concours Maserati Birdcage 1959 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe Maserati Sebring Maserati is a famous Italian manufacturer of racing cars and sports cars, established in 1914 in Bologna. ... Jean-Pierre Wimille (February 26, 1908 - January 28, 1949) was a Grand Prix motor racing driver. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... European Championship (auto racing) - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...


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. René Dreyfus René Dreyfus (born May 6, 1905 - died August 16, 1993) was a French driver who raced automobiles for 14 years in the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Era of Grand Prix motor racing. ... The Delahaye automobile manufacturing company was started by Emile Delahaye in 1894, in Tours, France. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... Hermann Lang (born April 6, 1909 – died October 19, 1987) was a German champion race car driver. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ... While Formula One has generally been regarded as the pinnacle of open-wheeled auto racing, the high performance nature of the cars and the expense involved in the series has always meant that there has needed to be a path to reach this peak. ... Formula 3000 is a type of formula racing. ... Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or, in abbreviated form, F3, is a type of formula racing and a class of open-wheeler motor racing. ...


Rugby Union

Pau is home to Section Paloise, the cities union team, which plays in the top French division. Most recently in 2000, it won the European Challenge Cup a top European trophy. Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in the top level of the French league system. ... A rugby union scrum. ... The European Challenge Cup in rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003, is the sister competition to the Heineken Cup. ...


Births

Pau was the birthplace of:

Jeanne dAlbret Jeanne dAlbret (January 7, 1528 – June 9, 1572) was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572, wife of Antoine de Bourbon, duke of Vendome and mother of Henry IV of France. ... Capital Pamplona (Basque: Iruña) Official language(s) Spanish; Basque co-official in the north of community. ... Henry IV of France, also Henry III of Navarre (13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. ... Kings ruled in France from the Middle Ages to 1848. ... Charles XIV John (Swedish: Carl XIV Johan), born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (January 26, 1763 – March 8, 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway (where he was known as Carl III Johan) from 1818 until his death. ... Baton of a modern Marshal of France The Marshal of France (French: Maréchal de France) is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. ... Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a parliamentary system. ... André Courrèges (born 1923) is a French fashion designer, known for his ultra-modern designs. ... Brief introduction on the history of fashion design and designers Fashion design is the art dedicated to the creation of wearing apparel and lifestyle. ... Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg (born April 17, 1943) is a French politician. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Bertrand Cantat (born in Pau, France, March 5th 1964) is a French singer and songwriter. ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Mountain biker riding in the Arizona desert. ... Charles Denis Sauter Bourbaki ( April 22, 1816 - September 27, 1897) was a French general. ...

Twin towns

Pau is twinned with:

Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Zaragoza (Spanish) Spanish name Zaragoza Founded 24 Postal code 50001 - 50018 Website http://www. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nickname: The Azalea City Coordinates: Country US State Alabama County Mobile Founded 1702 Incorporated 1814 Government  - Mayor Sam Jones Area  - City 412. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Pistoia (ancient Pistoria) is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km (18 mi) west and north of Florence. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... Kofu (甲府市; Kōfu-shi) is the capital city of Yamanashi, Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region Lisboa  - Subregion Península de Setúbal  - District or A.R. Setúbal Mayor Maria das Dores Meira  - Party CDU Area 171. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_(bordered). ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Göttingen ( ) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cote_d'Ivoire. ... Daloa is a town in Cote dIvoire lying west of Yamoussoukro and has a population of over 100,000. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Xian (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsi-An; Postal System Pinyin: Sian), is the capital of Shaanxi province in China and a sub-provincial city. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Pau
  • City council website (French)
  • "Pau and around: Pau tourism travel guide"
  • Visiting Pau (English)
  • Pau-online.com
  • Google Map of Pau


 

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