Bagnères-de-Bigorre (, literally ''Bagnères of

Bigorre Bigorre (; Gascon: ''Bigòrra'') is a region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of the larger region k ...

''; ) is a commune and

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...

of the

Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/ Occitan: ''Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus'' awts piɾeˈnɛʊs ; alts piɾiˈneʊs ) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. The department is bordered by Pyrénées-Atlantiques to t ...

Department in the Occitanie

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of southwestern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Name

The town was known in

antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

as (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

for "watery

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

") and in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

as ("Waters of the

Comminges The Comminges (; Occitan language, Occitan/Gascon language, Gascon: ''Comenge'') is an ancient region of southern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees, corresponding approximately to the arrondissement of Saint-Gaudens in the departments of Fran ...

"). Its present name similarly means "Baths" () of

, the area of southwestern

once inhabited by the ' and now forming most of the department of

. Either Bagnères-de-Bigorre or nearby Cieutat was apparently the "Begorra" attested in AD 400, which also derived from the ancient tribe.

Heraldry

Geography

Location

Bagnères-de-Bigorre is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees partly in the valley of the

Adour The Adour (; ; ) is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High- Bigorre ( Pyrenees), in the commune of Aspin-Aure, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean ( Bay of Biscay) near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost ca. is known as the ' ...

some southeast of

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of southwestern France. It is ...

and east of

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a ...

Hydrography

The

river flows through the north-east of the commune and the town flowing towards the north to eventually flow into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

. Numerous streams flow through the commune including the'' GaiVeste'' which forms the northern border as it flows north-east to join the Adour, the ''Oussouet'' which forms part of the western border as it flows north, the ''Ardazen'' which forms part of the eastern border as it flows east to join the ''Angoue'', the ''Quartier par d'Abay'' which also forms part of the eastern border as it flows north-east gathering numerous tributaries, the ''Lhécou'' flows north from ''Lac Bleu'' just south of the commune to join the Quartier par d'Abay, the ''Garet'' forms part of the south-eastern border as it flows north from several lakes in the south of the commune (Lac de Caderolles, Lac de Gréziolles), the ''Adour d'Arizes'' flows south-east, and the ''Adour du Tourmalet'' flows east then north-east through the south of the commune, the hamlet of La Mongie and the Castillon Dam, to join the Adour d'Arizes forming the ''Adour de Gripp''.

Climate

Bagneres-de-Bigorre is relatively untouched by the west by south-west disturbances which blow out before the high border mountain range. It is however intensely exposed to north by north-west disturbances that collide with the terrain. This barrier effect is felt up to the foothills so that springs, autumns, and winters are cool and rainy while summers are often hot and particularly stormy.

History

Antiquity

was conquered by the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

in 56 BCE and incorporated into the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Gallia Aquitania Gallia Aquitania (, ), also known as Aquitaine or Aquitaine Gaul, was a list of Roman provinces, province of the Roman Empire. It lies in present-day southwest France and the Comarques of Catalonia, comarca of Val d'Aran in northeast Spain, wher ...

. Valerius Messala stamped out the last pockets of tribal resistance in 28 BC at a victory over the Campani on a hill in

Pouzac Pouzac (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other d ...

. The Romans subsequently settled and greatly frequented Vicus Aquensis's natural springs. At its greatest extent, the Roman

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...

covered about half as much area as the present community. In the 4th-century

reforms Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

, the area around Vicus Aquensis became Aquitania Tertia or

Novempopulana Novempopulania (Latin for "country of the nine peoples") was one of the provinces created by Diocletian (Roman emperor from 284 to 305) out of Gallia Aquitania, which was also called ''Aquitania Tertia''. Early Roman period The area of Novem ...

. It was sacked by the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...

amid the

Barbarian Invasions The Migration Period ( 300 to 600 AD), also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories ...

Middle Ages

The

in the area were displaced by the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

following their defeat at the AD 507

Battle of Vouillé The Battle of Vouillé (from Latin ''Campus Vogladensis'') was fought in the northern marches of Visigothic territory, at Vouillé, near Poitiers (Gaul), around Spring 507 between the Franks, commanded by Clovis, and the Visigoths, commanded ...

, but there are no documents or remains from the area to provide guidance on local history until 1171. Archaeologists have proposed that the city was destroyed at some point by an earthquake and abandoned following a plague outbreak in 580. The area had recovered by 1171, when ,

count of Bigorre The County of Bigorre was a small feudatory of the Duchy of Gascony in the 9th through 15th centuries. Its capital was Tarbes. The county was constituted out of the dowry of Faquilène, an Aquitainian princess, for her husband Donatus Lupus I, ...

, granted "Aquae Convenarum" a liberal charter. The bill of rights and franchises lists four villages in the area protected by ramparts. By 1313, 800 "fires" (i.e., taxable homesteads) were recorded, making Bagnères as large as

, the county seat. The town was a place of manufacture and trade, with only 40% directly involved in agriculture.

Mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...

were erected on widened canals fed by the Adour; in addition to grinding wheat, they were used to stamp cauldrons, forge

scythe A scythe (, rhyming with ''writhe'') is an agriculture, agricultural hand-tool for mowing grass or Harvest, harvesting Crop, crops. It was historically used to cut down or reaping, reap edible grain, grains before they underwent the process of ...

s, and tanning hides. The

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

reached the town in 1348. Amid the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, the town fell into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

possession in 1360 before suffering a second outbreak of plague the following year. Henri de Trastámara, an ally of the French king, plundered, ransomed, and razed the town in 1427. Two years later there were no more than 291 "

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel ...

" in Bagnères, although the town slowly repopulated.

Renaissance

The town became even more commercial. In 1551,

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

reformed the town's government, replacing its six consuls indirectly elected by a general assembly of the locals with a larger council of 40. The area's natural springs again rose to national prominence under

Jeanne d'Albret Jeanne d'Albret (, Basque language, Basque: ''Joana Albretekoa''; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Joana de Labrit''; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. Jeanne was the daughter of He ...

, who became

queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

and

countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

upon her father Henry's death in 1555. She frequented the baths, prompting many other prominent visitors to follow. Already badly disposed towards

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

, queen regent of France, Jeanne converted to

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

, 1560. She began attempting to impose the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

on her domains the following year. As the people of Bagnères remained largely

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, following the onset of the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

after the

Massacre of Vassy The Massacre of Vassy () was the murder of Huguenot worshippers and citizens in an armed action by troops of the Duke of Guise, in Wassy, France on 1 March 1562. The massacre is identified as the first major event in the French Wars of Religion. ...

, arrests for

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

began in 1562. While the Count of Montgomery was recovering

Béarn Béarn (; ; or ''Biarn''; or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in Southwestern France. Along with the three Northern Basque Country, ...

from Catherine's allies in 1569, he went on to demand large ransoms from her other towns, including Bagnères. (It is unrecorded whether the people of Bagnères paid him, but he is recorded leaving the town unmolested and leaving for

Gers Gers (; or , ) is a departments of France, department in the regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southwestern France. Gers is bordered by the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques to ...

.) The governor of Bagnères Antoine Beaudéan was killed by the Protestant warlord Lizier in an ambush near Pouzac in 1574. By the end of the Wars of Religion, the town was ruined. Plague also returned in 1588. The outbreak ended following a religious procession prompted by the "Lighting of the Liloye", a

Marian apparition A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance of Mary, the mother of Jesus. While sometimes described as a type of vision, apparitions are generally regarded as external manifestations, whereas visions are more often understood as ...

at the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Médous. The ascension of Jeanne's son

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

as king of France in 1589 united his titles—including count of Bigorre—with the

French monarchy France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...

Early Modern era

The plague struck Bagnères again in 1628, 1653, and 1654. Public health measures were taken, with most patients isolated in the Salut Valley. The disease did not reappear after December 1654. On 21 June 1660, strong earthquakes hit the town, continuing for three weeks. Only seven people were killed, but 150 houses were damaged and the springs initially dried up. This was only temporary, however, and the water flowed again sometime later. Reconstruction was carried out with

dimension stone Dimension stone is natural stone or Rock (geology), rock that has been selected and finished (e.g., trimmed, cut, drilled or ground) to specific sizes or shapes. Color, Texture (geology), texture and pattern, and surface finish of the stone are ...

s from the Salut Quarry. This stone has the distinction of becoming like marble once polished, a feature that characterized the architecture of the town afterwards.

Hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...

was gaining importance. There were 25 private businesses by 1787. In 1775, a convent building was transformed into a gambling establishment called the ''Vaux-Hall'' where there was also dining and dancing. This is the first casino in Bagnères.

French Revolution

During the French Revolution, "moderate suspects" took refuge in the city from 1789 to 1793, ready to flee to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

if the situation worsened. The departmental authorities were wary of the Bagnèrese, to whom they ascribed little civic or revolutionary spirit. In late 1793, before the hospitals in the southwest became saturated, the wounded were evacuated to spas. At Bagnères, the Saint Barthelemy Hospice, the Uzer and Lanzac houses, and the Hospice of the Médous Capuchins were used as military hospitals.

Industrialization

In the 19th century, the

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...

offered by Bagnères's spas was reckoned particularly effective for digestive complaints but the private spas were growing more decrepit. In response, the municipality organized the construction of a Grand Thermal Spa (the "Thermes"), which was completed in 1828. By the 1870s, the tourists would double the town's population of during the "season", which ran from May until about the end of October. The casino also opened its own spa, the "Néothermes". The supply of marble became a pillar of the local economy, with the expansion of the Géruzet marble works making it one of the largest in France from 1829 to 1880. In the 1870s, the industry employed a thousand people.

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

was also quarried. Dominique Soulé expanded his business from an old mill purchased in 1862, the same year the town was connected to the

Midi Railway The Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi (, . CF du Midi), also known in English as the Midi or Southern Railway, was an early French railway company which operated a network of routes in the southwest of the country, chiefly in the area betwe ...

. The town also produced woolen and worsted cloth, leather, pottery, and toys. A local specialty was barège, a light fabric of mixed silk and wool. The demolition of the city's walls allowed the completion of ring roads around the town, and the town was the site of tribunals of first instance and of commerce.

20th century

The town's population had declined to around 7000 at the onset of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, which resulted in the expansion of industry in Bagnères, particularly in the field of railway rolling stock. The marble industry collapsed but mechanical and textile industries replaced it. The share of hydrotherapy in the economy also decreased. In June 1944, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a punitive expedition of a company of SS murdered 32 in the town and hundreds more in the valley in retaliation against the actions of the resistance in the region. The postwar period saw rapid urban growth, particularly in the 1960s. Rural areas of the commune disappeared. The territory was occupied by dwellings to the borders of the neighbouring communes of Gerde and

which also become urban. At the end of the 20th century industrial activity decreased. The thermal spa guests were always present and new jobs were created by the implementation of the regional Centre for Reeducation and Rehabilitation, a large retirement home, and a nursing home.

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

;

from 1941

Twinning

Bagnères-de-Bigorre has twinning associations with: *

Alhama de Granada Alhama de Granada is a town in the province of Granada (province), Granada, approx. 50 km from the city of Granada. The name is derived from the Hot spring, thermal baths located there, which are called ''al-hammah'' in Arabic language, Ar ...

(Spain) since 1995. *

Granarolo dell'Emilia Granarolo dell'Emilia ( Bolognese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northeast of Bologna. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Granarolo dell'Emilia borders the f ...

(Italy) since 1985. * Malvern (England) since 2016. *

Tutzing Tutzing is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Starnberg (district), Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany, on the west bank of the Starnberger See. Just 40 km south-west of Munich and with good views of the Alps, the town wa ...

(Germany) since 1975. *

Inverurie Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and River Don, Aberdeenshire, Don, about north-west of Aberdeen. Geography ...

(Scotland) Since 2016.

Intercommunality

The Community of communes of Haute-Bigorre (CCHB) was created in December 1994 to support joint development projects. It has been allocated a general grant for operations by the State and large grants by the General Council, the Regional Council, the State, and by Europe. Its skills are in: * Economic development (businesses, trades, commercial fabrics...); * Services to the elderly, children, and the disabled; * Protection and enhancement of the environment; * Selective waste collection; * Housing and living Environment policy; * Land development; * Tourism.

Health

Bagnères-de-Bigorre has a regional hospital which has 25 beds for medicine, 20 beds for longer stays (4 of aftercare for alcohol withdrawal), and 220 beds for rehabilitation and physical medicine (25 places for day hospitalization). On the Castelmouly site (accommodation for the dependent elderly) the capacity is 142 beds plus 2 temporary, 36 long-stay beds, and 8 day care places for people with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. The town also has a famous thermal baths.

Education

Schools in the commune are in the school district of the

Academy of Toulouse The Academy of Toulouse is a school district in the Occitanie region of southern France. It is administered by a rector. The rectory is located in the city of Toulouse. Departments It combines the educational departments of: * Ariège (09) ...

. The commune has three kindergartens (Clair Vallon, Carnot, and Achard), and six elementary schools (Calandreta of Banhèras (Occitan School), Jules Ferry, Pic du Midi, Carnot, Lesponne, les Palomières, and Saint Vincent). The General Council manages the Colleges of Blanche Odin (formerly city school Achard) and Saint Vincent while the region supports the Victor Duruy high school.

Demography

Economy

The economy of Bagnères-de-Bigorre is mainly in the secondary sector, at one time including railway materials, but Hydrotherapy and tourism are the main activities in the commune.

Industries

Today there are many SMEs and SMIs specializing in electrical equipment, mechanical, and aerospace industries located in the commune. There are Four commercial zones of activity: *The Dominique Soulé Business Park: an area of over 11 hectares with 14 companies (400 jobs). The main companies are: **CFD Bagnères (formerly Constructions Ferroviaires de Bagnères ex Soulé), **Novexia, **Pommier, **Nouvelle Bagnères Aéro, **Protoplane – Avenir Composites, **Bigorre Ingénierie. *The Adour Industrial Zone: an area of around 16 hectares with 23 companies (280 jobs). The main companies are: **Electraline CBB, **Adour Industries, **Duteil Arnauné sas, **Spem Aero, **Industrial Cabling Installations Pyrenees (MCIP). *The Haute-Bigorre Business park: an area of over 4 hectares with 9 companies (70 jobs). The main companies are: **Areva T & D, **Amare Charpentes, **Chaussons Matériaux, **Adour Prothèses, **Entreprise AOD *The Haute-Bigorre Industrial Park: an area of more than 3 hectares with 3 companies (70 jobs). The main companies are: **ABB Soulé Surge Protection – Hélita, **Mang Metal Industries.

Hydrotherapy and tourism

The Grands Thermes de Bagnères-de-Bigorre (Grand Thermal Baths of Bagnères-de-Bigorre) are traditionally employed for treatment of

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

, nervous afflictions, indigestion, and other maladies. The naturally-sourced waters vary in temperature from . Like most thermal cities, Bagnères-de-Bigorre has a casino. It is in the same building with the Aquensis thermal spa. The ski resort of La Mongie is also nearby. ;Thermalism and tourism gallery File:Bagneres de Bigorre (Ulpiano Checa) 03.jpg, A Poster by

Ulpiano Checa Ulpiano Fernández-Checa y Sanz (3 April 1860 – 5 January 1916), known as Ulpiano Checa, was a Spanish painter, sculptor, poster designer and illustrator. He used both impressionistic and academic techniques, and mainly painted historical su ...

File:Casino de Bagnères-de-Bigorre.JPG, Building housing the Casino and Aquensis. File:La Mongie ski resort - The village.jpg, Winter Ski station of Tourmalet.

Transport

Access to the commune is by the D935 roads from Tarbes which passes through the north-eastern tip of the commune and the town before continuing southeast to

Beaudéan Beaudéan (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Beaudéan ...

. The D938 branches off the D935 in the town and goes north to Tournay. The D29 goes from Beaudéan to the centre of the commune with no exit. The D918 from

Barèges Barèges (; , , in the Gascon dialect) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, administrative region of Occitania, southwestern France. It is situated in the valley of the Bastan on the former Route nationale 618 (the "Route of the P ...

passes through the southeast of the commune through the hamlet of La Mongie and continues northeast to Sainte-Marie-de-Campan. Apart from the town area the commune is mostly mountainous with few roads. The railway that connected Bagnères and

was closed in the late 1980s and the service is now provided by the TER bus from the old railway station which is now known as the bus station. The nearest airport is Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport some to the north.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has several buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *The Uzer House at 1 Place d'Uzer (17th century) *The Jean d'Albret House at 5 Rue du Vieux-Moulin (1539) *The Tower of the Jacobins (14th century) is built in the flamboyant Gothic style with a square

belfry The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...

of two floors atop an octagonal tower high. It is a remnant of what was once a Dominican monastery. The church was destroyed by fire in 1343. The convent and cloister were demolished in 1793. ;Other sites of interest *The Hospital contains a framed Painting: The Virgin of Carmel with the child Jesus and the Prophet Elie Tobie, and an angel (18th century) which is registered as an historical object. *The Town Hall contains Library Shelves (19th century) which are registered as an historical object. *The Grands Thermes de Bagnères-de-Bigorre (Grand Thermal Baths of Bagnères-de-Bigorre) were built in the

Classical architecture Classical architecture typically refers to architecture consciously derived from the principles of Ancient Greek architecture, Greek and Ancient Roman architecture, Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or more specifically, from ''De archit ...

of the 19th century using Pyrenees marble. It contains a Monument dedicated to the divinity of the Emperor Augustus (1st century) which is registered as an historical object. It also formerly held a good library. *The Conservatoire botanique Pyrénéen

Religious heritage

The commune has two religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *The old Church of Saint John Portico (1280) *The Church of Saint Vincent (1557) was built on a sanctuary of paleo-Christian origin. The style is

High Gothic High Gothic was a period of Gothic architecture in the 13th century, from about 1200 to 1280, which saw the construction of a series of refined and richly decorated cathedrals of exceptional height and size. It appeared most prominently in France ...

on the west façade while the south side is distinguished by its Renaissance style porch. The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects: **2 Confessionals (18th century) **A Baptismal font enclosure and Group Sculpture: Baptism of Christ (18th century) **An

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

in the Saint Francis Chapel (18th century) **A

Stoup A holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing holy water which is generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is often placed at the base of a crucifix or other Christian art. It is used in Catholic, as well as many Lutheran and Anglica ...

(18th century) **A

Pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

(18th century)

Bagnères-de-Bigorre gallery

File:Tour_des_Jacobins_%28Bagn%C3%A8res-de-Bigorre%29.JPG, Tower of the Jacobins File:Bagnereseglisestvincent.jpg, Church of Saint-Vincent File:Église Saint-Vincent de Bagnères-de-Bigorre 01.JPG, The Altar in the Saint Francis Chapel File:Bagnères-de-Bigorre - Cloître Saint-Jean.JPG, Cloister of Saint-Jean File:Halles de Bagnères-de-Bigorre (Hautes-Pyrénées, France).JPG, Covered Market File:Place de Strasbourg (Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France).JPG, Place de Strasbourg

Environmental heritage

*The Grottes de Médous (Médous caves) are natural caves accessible to visitors as well as a place of pilgrimage. *Bagnères-de-Bigorre is the reference site for ''Theodoxus fluviatilis thermalis'' which was described in the 19th century by the

malacologist Malacology, from Ancient Greek μαλακός (''malakós''), meaning "soft", and λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (molluscs or mollusks), the second-largest ...

Dominique Dupuy Dominique Dupuy (born 26 August 1957) is a French racing driver. Dupuy began racing professionally in 1983 in Championnat de France Formule Renault Turbo finishing 4th. He moved to the French Formula Three Championship the following year and ...

Museums

The town has had a museum since at least the early 20th century. The town has three museums: *The Salies Museum of Fine Arts which lies below the oldest part of the thermal baths, the Dauphin baths dating from 1783 *The Salut Natural History Museum *The Marble Museum created in 2007. This museum has more than 300 large samples of European marble.

Cultural facilities

The city has several cultural centers: *The Multimedia library *The Municipal Cultural Center *Le Maintenon Cinema Many cultural events are organized: *The Piano Pic Festival *Chopin in Bagneres *The Weekend of Street Art *The À Voix Haute Music Festival (At a Loud Volume Music Festival) *The High school girls video meeting (Ascension weekend) *The Pyrenees Book Fair The town has an orchestra called the ''Harmony Bagnéraise'' and a choir called ''La chorale des chanteurs montagnards'' (Chorus of Mountain Singers) which is the oldest secular choir in France and Europe

ef. required EF or ef may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ef (band), a post-rock band from Sweden * '' Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two.'', a Japanese adult visual novel series by Minori, or its anime adaptations Businesses and organizations * Eagle Forum, a ...

Sports

The

Stade Bagnérais Stade Bagnérais () is a French rugby union club currently competing at the third level of the French league system (Fédérale 1). They are based in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, a small town of 8,000 inhabitants, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département, ...

is a French rugby union club who have long played in the First Division, twice reaching the final of the Championship of France (1979 and 1981), and which plays in

Fédérale 1 The championnat de France de rugby à XV de 1re division fédérale (), a.k.a. Fédérale 1 (), is a French rugby union club competition, it is the elite of amateur rugby in France. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Français ...

in the Rugby Championship in France. The town of Bagneres has several sports associations, school structures, a leisure center, and numerous sports facilities: *4 Gymnasiums: La Plaine, Henri Cordier, Jules Ferry, and Carnot; *The Apollo Hall for

Dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

; *The André Boysson Swimming pool; *Rugby and soccer fields: La Plains, Marcel Cazenave Sports Park, Cordier, and Bagnères-Pouzac SIVU Sports; *Tennis Courts: inside and outside; *The Municipal Equestrian Center; *Bigorre Golf Course (in Pouzac); *The Adour

Artificial whitewater An artificial whitewater course is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids. Course types Main types of course: Flow div ...

; *A Fronton in the Sports Park; *A

Skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, Freestyle scootering, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairw ...

; *Bédat Shooting Range; *A range of mountain activities at Tourmalet In 2008 and 2013 Bagnères-de-Bigorre was a stage in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

: *

2008 Tour de France The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th running of Tour de France, the race. The event took place from 5 to 27 July. Starting in the French city of Brest, France, Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16t ...

: stage finish, won by

Vladimir Efimkin Vladimir Alexandrovich Efimkin () (born December 2, 1981, in Kuybyshev) is a Russian retired professional road bicycle racer, who last rode alongside his twin brother Alexander Efimkin on . He had established himself as a solid all-around cycli ...

2013 Tour de France The 2013 Tour de France was the 100th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours. It started on the island of Corsica on 29 June and finished on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 21 July. The Tour consisted ...

: stage finish, won by Dan Martin

Worship

The Parish of Bagneres-de-Bigorre includes 17 communes in the

diocese of Tarbes and Lourdes The Diocese of Tarbes et Lourdes (Latin: ''Dioecesis Tarbiensis et Lourdensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Tarbes et Lourdes'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Until 2002 Tarbes was a suffragan ...

(Haut-Adour Sector). The Petit-Rocher

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

was founded in 1833 by Mother Marie-des-Anges. Expelled in 1901, the Carmelites returned in 1921 and a new community was formed in 2009.''Christian Family'', No. 1829, 2–8 February 2013, p. 28-30 There is also a temple of the Reformed Church built by Emilien Frossard in 1857. It is attached to the parish of Hautes-Pyrenees with

and

Cauterets Cauterets (; in Occitan ''Cautarés'', in Catalan ''Cautarés'', in Aragonese ''Cautarès'') is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department and the region of Occitanie in south-western France. Toponymy Histor ...

Notable residents

*The Bédat Family: came from Bagnères-de-Bigorre * André Joseph Boussart (1758–1813): General of the Republican armies and of the Empire, died at Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Alfred Roland Alfred Hector Roland (1797 — 13 March 1874) was a French composer, poet and founder of the Conservatory of Music of Bagnères-de-Bigorre in South Western France. References French musicians 1797 births 1874 deaths {{France- ...

(1797–1874): composer and creator of the Conservatory of Music of Bagnères-de-Bigorre *Marie-Armand d'Avezac de Castera-Macaya (1798–1875): archivist and geographer, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *Jean-Jacques Vignerte (1806–1870): Politician, died at Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Charles Dancla (Jean Baptiste) Charles Dancla (; 19 December 181710 November 1907) was a French violinist, composer and teacher. Biography Dancla was born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre. When he was nine years old, violinist Pierre Rode in Bordeaux heard his music; he ...

(1817–1907): violinist and composer, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Charles Duclerc Charles Théodore Eugène Duclerc (; 7 August 1812, Bagnères-de-Bigorre – 29 January 1888) was a French journalist and politician of the Third Republic. He was a member of the editorial board of the ''National'' newspaper. Duclerc served ...

(1812–1888): Politician, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham (1841–1918): British explorer and Royal Navy officer, designer of the

flag of New Zealand The flag of New Zealand (), also known as the New Zealand Ensign, is based on the British maritime Blue Ensigna blue field with the Union Jack in the ''canton (flag), canton'' or upper hoist corneraugmented or ''Defacement (flag), defaced'' wit ...

, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *Dominique Soulé (1847?-?): Founder of the railway materials industrial works in 1862 which carried his name until 1992 *Blanche Odin (1865–1957): Painter water-colourist, lived and died in Bagnères-de-Bigorre * Julián Bourdeu (1870–1932): Journalist and Police commissary in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *Philadelphe de Gerde (1871–1952):

Félibrige The ''Félibrige'' (; in classical Occitan, in Mistralian spelling, ) is a literary and cultural association founded in 1854 by Frédéric Mistral and other Provençal writers to defend and promote the Occitan language (also called the ) and ...

poet from Gerde who has a

stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...

commemorating here opposite the thermal baths *Marcellin Duclos (1879–1969): Opera singer (Baritone), born and died in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Sir Alan Brooke (1883–1963):

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer, became

Chief of the Imperial General Staff Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board; he is also the Chair of the Executive Committee of the A ...

, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Pierre-Georges Latécoère Pierre-Georges Latécoère (; 1883–1943) was a pioneer of aeronautics. Born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, he studied in the École Centrale Paris and, during the First World War, started a business in aeronautics. He directed plants that made p ...

(1883–1943): Industrialist and businessman, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *Pierre Lamy de la Chapelle (Limoges 1892-Bagnères-de-Bigorre 1944): son of Dominique Soulé, pioneer of the ski station at La Mongie, founded the tennis club of Bagnères-de-Bigorre in 1920, originated the idea of serving the Pic-du-Midi with a cable car * Tony Poncet (1918–1979):

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

, Opera singer and war veteran, lived in Bagnères-de-Bigorre * Jean Gachassin (1941–): former French rugby player and president of the

Fédération française de tennis The French Tennis Federation (, FFT) is the governing body for tennis in France. It was founded in 1920, and is tasked with the organisation, co-ordination and promotion of the sport. It is recognised by the International Tennis Federation and by ...

, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Jean-Louis Bruguès Jean-Louis Bruguès, OP (born 22 November 1943) is a French archbishop of the Catholic Church. He was the Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church from 2012 to 2018. Biography Bruguès was born at Bagnères de Bigorre, in the diocese of ...

(1943–): Archbishop, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre * Roland Bertranne (1949–): former rugny player who played at

Jean-Paul Betbeze Jean Paul or ''variation'' may refer to: Places * Rue ''Jean-Paul-II'', several streets, see List of places named after Pope John Paul II * Place ''Jean Paul II'', several squares, see List of places named after Pope John Paul II People Given nam ...

(1949–): economist, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre * Jean-Michel Aguirre (1951–): international Rugby Union player and former player for

* Yves Duhard (1955–): Rugby Union player, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Wilfrid Forgues Sandra Forgues (born 22 December 1969, in Tarbes), formerly known as Wilfrid Forgues, is a French slalom canoeist who competed as a male athlete from the late 1980s to the early 2000s (decade). In 2018, Forgues revealed publicly her identity as ...

(1969–) and

Frank Adisson Frank Adisson (born 24 July 1969, in Tarbes) is a French slalom canoeist. He competed from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, in three Summer Olympics. He won two medals in the C2 event with a gold medal in 1996 and a bronze medal in 1992. Fra ...

(1969–): Olympic champions in Canoeing in 1996 * Sophie Theallet (1964–), Fashion designer, born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *The Société Ramond: founded at a meeting between Henry Russell, Charles Packe, Farnham Maxwell-Lyte, and Emilien Frossard in 1865, and named after

Louis Ramond de Carbonnières Louis François Élisabeth Ramond, baron de Carbonnières (4 January 1755 Strasbourg – 14 May 1827), was a French politician, geologist and botanist. He is regarded as one of the first explorers of the high mountains of the Pyrenees who can be d ...

, based in Bagnères-de-Bigorre *

Tony Hawks Antony Gordon Hawksworth Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 27 February 1960), known professionally as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author. Early life Born in Brighton, Sussex, Hawks was educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Gr ...

: English writer and comedian, purchased a house in a village near Bagnères-de-Bigorre as told in his 2006 book ''A Piano in the Pyrenees''.

Notes

References

* * *

External links

Bagnères-de-Bigorre official website

Bagnères-de-Bigorre on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Baigneres en Bigorre'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagneresdebigorre Communes of Hautes-Pyrénées Spa towns in France Subprefectures in France