Château-Vieux, Bayonne, France

The Château-Vieux ('Old castle') in Bayonne is built on the site of an ancient Roman castrum which housed the garrison and administration of the region. From the end of the 11th century the viscounts of Labourd built the fortress based on three existing Roman towers strengthened. The castle was refortified in the 17th century by Vauban plans.

User Reviews

Albert Alfieri (15 months ago)
Imposing building built between the 11th and 17th century (finished by Vauban). Cannot be visited, it is still a military enclosure. If you are going to see the cathedral take a short detour on foot (100m) to admire its proportions from the square below

Guillermo R (3 years ago)
It cannot be visited. Military area. The exterior is nice.

Francisco Ramirez (4 years ago)
An old castle, good preserved

brian woo (5 years ago)
Not much to see here

Claudia Teixeira (5 years ago)
Wonderful

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Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.

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