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Origin and history

Lacarre Castle, also known as Harispe Castle, is an ancient fortress built between the 11th and 13th centuries in Lower Navarre. It occupied a strategic position between the Pays de Cize, the Ostabarret and the valleys of Osses and Irissarry. Originally, the seigneury depended on the king of Navarre, and the family of Lacarre acquired notable prestige in the 12th century, notably with Bernard de Lacarre, canon of Bayonne and connetable of Richard Cœur de Lion during the third crusade in 1190.

The seigneury changed hands several times by marriage alliances: it passed to Asiayn in 1368, to the Arbide in 1525, and to the Lafuntzun in 1668. Although remodeled in the 18th century, the castle still preserved its medieval arrangements at the beginning of the 19th century, with original openings visible in the thickness of the walls.

In 1820, Marshal Jean-Isidore Harispe, from Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, acquired the property and undertook work to make it a residence of pleasure. His heiress, the Dutey-Harispe family, entrusted in 1880 a major transformation to the departmental architect Émile Doyère. The latter adopts an eclectic style combining neo-Renaissance and neo-Louis XIII, while decorating interiors in an Empire style. The current castle, with its slate roofs, corner turrets and central balcony, dates from this countryside. It has been a part of historical monuments since 1992.

The park, once equipped with French terraces and orangery, has been simplified into a lawn. The remaining dependencies include a square dovecote and an old stable. The castle, still owned by the descendants of Marshal Harispe, retains an interior decor in bad condition, but bears witness to an architectural and historical heritage marked by its successive transformations.

The building illustrates the evolution of the Navarre strong houses, from defensive functions to aristocratic residences. Its inscription to historical monuments covers facades, roofs, as well as several interior rooms (large living room, library, rooms) with their original decoration, dated from the 19th century.

The location of the castle, in Lacarre in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, makes it a representative example of the Basque and Bearn heritage, marked by the Navarre influences and the changes of the Second Empire. Its architect, Émile Doyère, left a lasting imprint with its eclectic style, characteristic of the aristocratic residences of the late nineteenth century in Aquitaine.

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