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Origin and history

Morlanne Castle is a former castle built in the 3rd quarter of the 14th century by architect Sicard de Lordat on the orders of Gaston Fébus, Count of Foix and Viscount of Béarn. It is part of a defensive system designed to protect the Béarn from English incursions since Gascony, then under Plantagenet. Originally entrusted to Arnaud-Guilhem de Béarn, half-brother of Fébus, the castle monitored a strategic point between the French and English territories. Its polygonal enclosure, built of bricks, sandstone and pebbles, was erected in only eight years, an exceptional time for the era.

In the 15th century, the castle changed hands several times. After the death of the heir of Arnaud-Guilhem, he returned to the lords of Béarn, then was sold in 1469 to Odet d'Aydie, a gascon close to Louis XI. The latter, a former companion of Charles VII's weapons, partially modernises the fortress by adding chimneys and windows. The transformations continued in the 16th to 19th centuries, when Morlanne became a seigneurial residence, gradually losing its military character. The beautifications of the 15th century, however, were demolished around 1870, and the castle fell into ruins after the Second World War.

In 1969, the historian Raymond Ritter acquired and restored the castle to restore its medieval appearance, including rebuilding the defensive crown and the dungeon. The site, partially classified as Historical Monuments in 1975, now houses a collection of furniture, paintings (including works by La Tour and Fragonard) and tapestries. Its irregular heptagonal plan, towers and water ditch make it a rare example of Gaston Fébus' military architecture, supplemented by a partially preserved outer vallum.

The castle also illustrates the social changes of the Béarn: first border fortress, it becomes a symbol of seigneurial power with the families De Montesquiou, De Freixe, then De Sarrabeig, before being left to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in 1975. Its history reflects the geopolitical tensions between the kingdoms of France and England, as well as the evolution of the local elites from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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