Lescar

Lescar is a city with strong cultural identity and heritage with its historic monuments like the 12th century cathedral in the heart of the medieval city surrounded by ramparts. Lescar also stop on the way to Saint Jacques de Compostela and as such receives many pilgrims visit.

Rich in history and culture, Lescar is a dynamic city, resolutely turned towards the future. Services for the lives of children, a full course of study, a home-school, a major economic center around three business areas involving large retail chains and more than 500 companies in all sectors. Lescar also offers many leisure through a strong network of associations and groups of 95 clubs, sports facilities including 3 new and innovative sports, a municipal school of circus, a stadium golf, swimming, tennis, shooting complex at the arc complex and trinquet ball or artificial climbing structure.

In the beginning ... From early history, the population of Lescar seems to fit in a pastoral setting. During the Roman invasions, the Beneharnenses, pastoral people and farmers living in hamlets and villages. "Lascurris Beneharnensium" was a Gallo-Roman city from the first century AD, then capital of the tribe of Beneharnenses the 4th century. Located in the lower town, the city, more commonly known Beneharnum, was razed by the Normans in 841. It was not until the 10th century, under William Sancho Duke of Gascony, the city began a new life as the Lascurris. Lescar, old fortified episcopal city, stands on the foundations of Beneharnum. All that remains of the past only a small furniture and early history of the Gallo-Roman times, the belt of ancient walls, the remains of the medieval ramparts: Door / Esquirette tower, tower of the Cathedral and Diocese Notre Dame.

Original name ... Legend has it that after the Norman invasions of 841, Beneharnum reborn from the ashes as the Lascurris, named after the creek that runs through the Lescourre. However, the arrival of the Romans, a hamlet called Lascurris probably existed near the site. Upon appointment of the City Administrative Venarni, one of the tribes Novempopulania, the city has certainly called Civitas Lascurris Beneharnensium or Beneharnensium. At its reconstruction, would Lescar regained its original name.

Patrons of the city ... This is St. Julien, the legend place as the first bishop of Beneharnum and Galactoire Saint, Bishop of authentic Beneharnum, martyred by the Visigoths in Mimizan (Landes) in 507. Only Saint Julien is celebrated today, in late August on the occasion of festivals.

Legend ... In the Middle Ages, was a city Lescar "sevenfold" search on: 7 Churches, 7 doors, 7 fountains, 7 rounds, seven mills, seven vineyards, 7 wood.

The bishopric existed from the 5th century with a cathedral, Saint-Julien, in the Lower Town. Destroyed by the Normans rebuilt in the 13th century it was again destroyed in 1569 by the Protestant troops of Montgomery. Rebuilt a third and final time in the 17th century, only the bell gable of the Romanesque church has apparently survived it. Saint-Julien Cathedral was therefore only during the second half of the first millennium. In the 10th century, it remained in the Upper Town a baptistery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. A soldier repented, "Wolf-Fort", built in its place a chapel and a monastery under the name "Santa Maria". In 1062, the chapel was consecrated cathedral and became Bishop Lescar. During the Revolution, in 1791, he was removed and attached to that of Bayonne at the same time as that of Oloron Sainte-Marie.