Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palace Sorrento, also called Castet de l'Array, is a villa built in Pau in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques between 1880 and 1886. Sponsored by Joseph Mérillon, heir to a Paloise bank, she is destined for her American wife, Cornelia Stewart-Clinch, daughter of a wealthy New York banker. Designed as the most luxurious in the city, it is inspired by the italianist style, derived from neo-Renaissance, with a tower, greenhouse and colonnade. Its 4.6 hectare park, renovated between 1902 and 1905 by landscape architect Henri Martinet, includes factories such as a temple of Diane and an artificial source.

Between 1886 and 1910, the palace became an emblematic place for the worldly life of Pau, then nicknamed the "English city". The Mérillon couple organizes fascinating festivals, attracting the aristocracy and foreign fortunes. The estate, enclosed with walls and with monumental portals, reflects the fascination of this time when Pau has more than 350 luxurious villas. The beautification work continued until 1910, with the addition of a marble staircase of Carrara and cariatides representing the seasons.

In 1954, the Mérillon family sold the estate to a real estate company, resulting in the subdivision of the park into lots and the division of the villa into apartments. The park, reduced to 8,200 m2, loses much of its original extent. Despite these transformations, the palace retains its prestige and is listed as historical monuments in 2014 for its heritage value. Today, there remains a private condominium, exceptionally open to the public during guided tours.

The architecture of the Sorrento Palace combines Italian and British influences, with elements such as a tower, a greenhouse and a roof terrace. Architects Henri Martinet and Mr. Rigault contributed to its development, notably by creating reinforced concrete garden factories, an innovation for the time. The temple of Diane and the rock bridge, still visible, bear witness to this know-how. The villa, symbol of the opulence of the Belle Époque in Pau, also illustrates the decline of large private properties in the 20th century.

Since its inscription in 2014, the palace has been protected for its architectural and landscape ensemble, including the park remains, terraces, the belvedere temple and the spring. Although transformed, there remains a major testimony of the world history of Pau, between the Bearnais heritage and international influences. Its rarity and state of conservation make it a key monument to the neo-Aquitaine heritage.

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