Was
the Parc Beaumont a dream a hundred of years ago
?
At the far west of th Pyrenees boulevard, under
the 1st Empire, the property today, known today
as the Parc Beaumont, belong to the deputy mayor
Batsalle. Mr Batsalle sold this property with
its 27.5 acces of greenery and flowers to Mr Briffault,
who let it to the Beaumont Count in 1834.
This
Heiress, the woman poet Anna de Noailles, who
lived in the countryside of Agen, rented her property
in Pau at a very high price for winter. Gardens
are really beautiful, the view of the Pyrenees
mountains is wonderful reception room. Not long
after being the owner of the villa Anna de Noailles
sold it.
THANKS
TO ONE MANS'S WILL, A REAL TOWN PLANNER OF THE
19th CENTURY...
Aristide
dee Montpezat, a cautious Mayor, entered into
an agreement with the businessman of th Nooailles
countess. The property became a public garden,
with several road suitable for motor vehicles
communicating the neighbour areas. Some citizens
of Pau disageed with this acquisition. However
thanks to this domain there could be a urban development.
Aristide de Montpezat was the real spiritual father
of the today's Pyrenees Boulevard. He suggested
a horizontal promenade should join the new garden
by prolonging the Midi Boulevard joining the Castle
to the Royal place.
A
PARC FOR THE PLEASURE OF PAU CITIZENS, SERENITY
AND NATURE LOVERS
The
mayor Aristide de Montpezat, who had to face many
difficulties, opened an inquiry of public utility
on November, 16th 1876 to buy the parc. On June,
17th 1877, the Perfect ratified the decision of
bying the property. The aggreement was signed
on March, 13th 1878, and the parc was inaugurated
on June, 23th 1878. Works lasted from November
1895 to November 1899. Meanwhile,
the landscape architect from Paris, Henri Martinet
was asked to develop the parc in 1898.
NEW EQUIPMENTS FOR YESTERDAY AND TODAY'S PAU CITIZENS
The
creation of a sport and leisure complex became
essential. The Beaumont property fitted well to
this kind of projects. Watergames, fountains,
rivers and a lake were planned. Part of the parc
became a botanical garden for students' pratical
works.
Part
of the villa Beaumont became a museum housing
several natural sciences collections and paintings.
A library was created a promenade facing the Pyrenees
mountains and a bandstand for the local orchestra
were built. As for sport it was decided to create
polo, cricket & croquet fields and tennis
- courts. The Pyrenees mountains were a beautiful
backdrop for this parc where the Beaumont villa
had been replaced by a wonderful Winter Palace.
Later this palace was destroyed under the pretext
it was impossible to eliminate the lichen polluting
the glass wall. It was replaced by the Casino
Municipal, with beautiful rooms such as the games
rooms, the Ambassadors room, the theatre-cinema,
the discothèque, the bar and the wide multi-use
room. After several years of disuse, it was replaced
by Palais Beaumont - Conference Centre of Pau
in 2000.
The
Palais Beaumont, A century of history.
