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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Episcopal Palace of Alan, also known as the Vache d'Alan, was built at the end of the 15th century as the summer residence of the bishops of Comminges. Bishop Jean de Foix de Grailly transformed him into a sumptuous palace decorated with frescoes (now missing) and a flamboyant Gothic staircase, topped by a sculpted tympanum of a monumental cow bearing the arms of the Béarn and Foix. This artistic masterpiece, created in 1492, also includes a missel illuminated by Pierre de Lanouhe, testifying to the patronage of the amateur bishop of art.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the palace underwent architectural modifications to adapt to the tastes of the time, but the French Revolution marked a turning point: sold as a national good in 1795, it was divided and partially abandoned. The carved cow, symbol of the monument, was almost sold abroad in 1912 and 1920. Saved thanks to the mobilization of the inhabitants and the intervention of the Duke of Treviso (creator of the Protection of French Art), it was classified as a historical monument in 1912, avoiding its exportation.

Forgotten in the 20th century, the palace was saved from ruin in 1969 by tenor Richard Gailland and his relatives, who undertook its restoration. Since 1998, two photographers, Yuri Lewinski and Mayotte Magnus, have continued this preservation work. Today, the site combines Gothic heritage with local history, with a 15th century door and its still visible staircase.

The tympanum adorned with the heraldic cow, classified in 1912, remains the most emblematic element of the monument. It illustrates the links between Bishop Jean de Foix, the house of Béarn and late Gothic art. The palace, although partially transformed, preserves traces of its past fascists, as evidenced by the archives and illuminations of the missel of 1492.

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