Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The national stud of Pau-Gelos, located in Gelos in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, originates in the castle built in 1784 by Baron Martin-Simon de Duplaà, President of the Parliament of Navarre. This estate, nicknamed the Bearn Versailles, hosted the local aristocracy for world festivals until the Revolution. The castle, surrounded by a park, became a symbol of prestige with its wrought iron staircase, transferred in 1959 from the Duplaà d'Escout hotel (today destroyed) in Pau.

In 1808, after a visit by Napoleon I and Empress Josephine, the estate was chosen to house an imperial stud, replacing Jurançon. The grandson of the Baron, then intendant general of the armies, became his first director. The site extended with stables (including Dionysos II), a marshalry, and a collection of hippomobile cars, reflecting its central role in equine breeding and reproduction.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 2011, the haras experienced major changes: privatisation of its livestock activities in 2012 (undertaken by the SORELIS cooperative), and then put on sale in 2016 by IFCE for budgetary reasons. In 2018, Catherine de Lartigue took over the site, but her future remained uncertain at the end of 2023. The estate, open to the public, combines architectural heritage and equestrian events.

Architecturally, the 18th century castle, flanked by two 19th century pavilions, dominates a park accessible from the gave via a bridge. Its hall retains historical elements, such as the wrought iron gate. The stables, the sanded quarry and the round of the havrincourt bear witness to its functional past, while the equine breeds (not detailed here) illustrate its genetic diversity.

The haras today embodies an imperial, aristocratic and technical heritage. Its inscription as Historic Monuments covers the entire building and park, including fence walls. Despite the changes in management, it remains an emblematic place of French equestrian heritage, between Napoleonic memory and contemporary issues.

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