The Château d'Orion is a guesthouse and event location in the small town of Orion, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in south-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It was built in the 17th century as a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

History

Château d'Orion is a typical Béarnaise manor house which has been enlarged and extended over the years. In 2003, the house was completely renovated, preserving many original features and furnishings that can be seen throughout the year. Originally built as a lay abbey, from the 17th century to the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, the former owners of the château, the Casamayor family, looked after the nearby church. Following them, the family of Jean-Ninon Larrouy bought the property. Their wealth was based on trading the famous Bayonne ham. Through the heirs Louis and afterwards Henriette Larrouy, the manor came into the possession of the famous French surgeon Paul Reclus. In

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, he carried out experiments with cocaine as an anaesthetic and he invented the ''Pommade de Reclus''. The French writer

Henri de Régnier Henri-François-Joseph de Régnier (28 December 1864 – 23 May 1936) was a French symbolist poet, considered one of the most important of France during the early 20th century. Life and works He was born in Honfleur ( Calvados) on 28 December 1 ...

dedicated a sonnet to Reclus' daughter, Madeleine, which says, "I love your house that bears a name of a star which lightens your eyes." Paul Reclus' brothers were also well-established characters at that time.

Élisée Reclus Jacques Élisée Reclus (; 15 March 18304 July 1905) was a French geographer, writer and anarchist. He produced his 19-volume masterwork, ''La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes'' ("Universal Geography"), over a period of ...

was one of the most famous anarchists in France and a world-famous geographer, and Armand Reclus played a part as an engineer of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

. His descendant Jean Labbé married Marguerite Bérard, the daughter of a former education secretary of France,

Léon Bérard Léon Bérard (6 January 1876, Sauveterre-de-Béarn – 24 February 1960 in Saint-Étienne) was a French politician and lawyer. Bérard was Minister of Public Instruction in 1919 and from 1921 to 1924, and Minister of Justice from 1931 to 1932 ...

, in the 1950s. Madame Labbé still lives in the Château d'Orion.

Château d'Orion today

The grounds extend to 30 hectares. Since the house was purchased by the German Premauer family in 2003, much of the château has been renovated and renewed. The company Château d'Orion runs the manor as a guesthouse and event location. A local association organizes events at regular intervals, including readings, concerts and other cultural events, to preserve Château d'Orion as a social and cultural center of this region. It received the European Citizen's Prize from the European Parliament in 2013, and other awards.

Picture gallery

File:Südansicht Château d´Orion.jpg, South side File:Ostansicht Château d´Orion.jpg, East side File:Halle d´entreé.jpg, Entrance hall File:Grand Salon.jpg, ''Grand Salon'' File:Salle a manger.jpg, Dining room File:Treppenhaus Château d´Orion.jpg, Stairway File:Das "Casamayor" Zimmer.jpg, The "Casamayor" room File:Die Grange.jpg, The barn

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orion, Chateau d' Châteaux in Pyrénées-Atlantiques