Castres T ARN - Discovery Guide CONTENTS P RESENTATION 03 H ERITAGE WIT H P ASSION 04-09 M USEU M S WIT H P ASSION 10-11 P ARKS & G ARDENS 12-13 S P ORTS & W ALKS 14-15 H IG H LIG H TS 16-17 T H E ‘ S M ART ’ TRAVELER : VISIT T H E M ARKETS , T H E ESSENTIALS 18-19 U SEFULL ADRESSES 20-21 M A P OF T H E H ISTORI C AL C ENTRE 22-23 CASTRES WAITING FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE, DISCOVER AND LOVE... Castres is a stop-over along St. James’s Way (El Camino de Santiago) and its development centered around the Saint- Benoît abbey in the 9th century. Birth place of Jean Jaurès, the city boasts of treasures such as the Goya museum, situated in the ancient “Palais Épiscopal,” which is the first museum in France, after the Louvre, to exhibit Hispanic art. Castres, city in bloom, has many parks and gardens, notably the Bishop’s Palace Garden designed by Le Nôtre, which has been listed as “Jardin remarquable.” The alignments of the façades of the houses along the Agout River are reminders of the city’s first vocation linked to the textile industry. Old, privately-owned hotels, vestiges of the 17th century, are testament to the historical richness of Castres. Resolute, authentic and active, today Castres is at the centre of the Greater Castres-Mazamet area. The “savoir-faire” traditions rub shoulders with more recent activities, like mechanics, pharmaceuticals and cosmetology… 3 H E R I TAG E WIT H PASSION LANGUEDOC’S LITTLE VENICE THE HOUSES ALONG THE AGOUT 1 Brightly-colored houses, with cor- belled façades and basements im- mersed in the river, have earned Castres the nickname of “Lan- guedoc’s little Venice“. The first houses along the Agout river date back to the end of the 12th century. For centuries they served as workshops for tanners, “chamoi- seurs” and parchment-makers who used the water from the river to work the skins. The basements and sinks were found below, above the dryers or “soleliers,” between the two living floors. Faithfully restored, they are a photographer’s joy and provide a link to centuries gone by. Riverboat 6 “Le Miredames” boat ride. From here passengers can disembark at Gourjade Park and wait ASSION for the next shuttle bus for P the return journey. H Shuttle buses run from Municipal 8 theatre May until October, up to seven buses a day during WIT the holiday period. This is without a doubt the most original way to discover the banks of the Agout river. Navigate your way from the town centre E R I TAG E to Gourjade Park. Built of H wood and based on the This is a very beautiful, model of the ancient Italian-style theatre riverboats, inaugurated in 1904 and “ Le Miredames ” designed by the architect Riverboat can Joseph Galinier, a student accommodate of Garnier. The interior 6 up to 60 layout mirrors the “Opé- › Gourjade Park : passengers ra-Comique” theatre in “Coche d’eau,” aboard a riverboat jetty Paris and its “trompe-l’oeil” poetic dome dedicated to classic tragedy is quite eye-cat- ching. A mecca of creativity and artistic representa- tion, the theatre offers a yearly program of the very highest quality. › Municipal theatre, free entrance 6 › Rue Milhau-Ducommun : “Coche d’eau,” riverboat jetty 5 H E R I TAG E WIT H PASSION FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BISHOPS IN CASTRES... LE PALAIS ÉPISCOPAL 7 A majestic, classic-style building, bordering the river Agout, the Palais Episcopal was inaugurated in 1673 by the bishop of Castres, Monsei- gneur de Tubœuf. The belfry, ves- tige of the 9th century Saint-Benoît abbey, is housed within its walls. Listed as an historical building, the former bishop’s palace was desig- ned by Jules-Hardouin Mansart, one of the architects of Versailles and now houses the “Hôtel de Ville,” as well as the Goya museum, the His- panic art museum. The building faces the Saint- Benoît cathedral built between 1678 and 1718 on the initiative once again of Monseigneur de Tubœuf. Initially, what would have been one of the biggest cathedrals in France was humbly reduced in size after the bis- hop’s death in 1682. St. James’s Way Castres. It was the guiding Monument in 1987, possesses (El Camino de Santiago) reference during the an extraordinary organ renovation of the fountain (dating from 1764 and re- in the Fagerie square, situa- built by Joseph Kern in the ASSION ted near to Saint-Jacques 80s). A place of worship, P Villegoudou church. Here the church opens its doors the 14th century porch occasionally to the public H bell-tower catches our for cultural events. eye. WIT › Rue Victor Hugo L’Albinque, St-Jean-St-Louis church, Pierre-Fabre square E R I TAG E H Castres is situated on one of the four main pilgrimage Notre Dame de 4 la Platé routes to Santiago de Compostela, the Tolo- In the heart of the sane route, also known Albinque district, in as the Arles route. In fact, Pierre-Fabre square, we since 864 when the relics find the covered market, of Saint-Vincent were built in 1868 and inspired brought (lost in our time), by the Baltard Pavillion in the city has remained one Paris in 1853. It is situated of the minor pilgrimage opposite St-Jean St-Louis routes to Compostela. church. The shell, the emblem Notre-Dame de la Platé of pilgrims, is still present church, listed as a Historical on several monuments in 7 H E R I TAG E WIT H PASSION IN THE ERA OF THE “CHAMBRE DE L’ÉDIT” L’HÔTEL DE NAYRAC 10 During the reign of Henri IV, the establishment of the tribunal of the “Chambre de l’Édit,” with the arrival of numerous magistrates, marks the beginning of a period of prosperity, to which numerous private hotels are testament. “L’Hôtel de Nayrac,” is one of the most beautiful examples. Combining bricks and stones, the building showcases a remarkable harmony between its corbelled turrets, lattice bays around the door of honor and the oculus of the door used as the vanishing point… It’s a beautiful architectural feat worth admiring. 12 Hôtel de 9 Hôtel Viviès Jean Leroy Walk through the streets, going from square to ASSION square... P H WIT This was the city’s most Built at the beginning of the beautiful private mansion in 17th century, this private the 16th century. Built by mansion is noteworthy due Monseigneur de Rozel, the to its corbel-angled turret The perimeter of the old lawyer of the “Chambre de and brick corbelling. fortifications has provided E R I TAG E › Rue Chambre de l’Édit l’ Édit.” Castres’ old city centre H › Rue Chambre de l’Édit with its coat-of-arms name. Strolling through the streets Hôtel de Le carillon de and the cobbled backstreets, 11 4 Poncet N.D. de la Platé we find vestiges from the medieval city to the prosperous 17th century : timber-framed houses in Pélisson square, the tour des Cordeliers, the passage Henri IV and vestiges of old ramparts on Tolosane Street… Outstanding due to its Boasting 33 bells, le carillon Around Jean- Jaurès square, caryatids bearing a Renais- de N. D. de la Platé has not at the heart of the city sance loggia enhanced with stopped ringing since its centre, a number of little four ionic pillars, as well as its installation in 1847. On the squares pleasantly punc- ramped, red-iron staircase. first Sunday of every month tuate this historical walk : › Rue Gabriel Guy there is a free concert. Gabarrou square, Flaubert › Rue de la Platé square, Jean-Bouffard square, Fagerie square... 9 C U LT U R E WIT H PASSION THE FIRST HISPANIC ART MUSEUM IN FRANCE, AFTER THE LOUVRE THE GOYA MUSEUM 7 This museum provides a unique vision of the works of great Spanish masters from the 14th century to present day : Goya, Velázquez, Pacheco, Miró, Picasso. It’s the legacy of Pierre Briguiboul, the son of a painter and collector from Castres, to the City of Castres in 1894. He determined his Hispanic vo- cation by acquiring 3 Goya canvases for the museum, including the Junta of Philippines. In 1949, the prestigious additions from the Louvre confirmed this His- panic orientation. Since then, the po- litical acquisition led by the City and the museum enables this remarkable collection to be regularly enriched. The purchase of the Gaudi de Joan Miró series concretized his desire to promote 10th century art. Jean Jaurès National 31 July 1914. The Jean Center and Jaurès museum organi- 3 Museum zes numerous tempo- rary exhibitions throu- ASSION ghout the year. P › Place Pélisson H WIT 21 Archéopole The Jean Jaurès museum provides a chronological and thematic journey of U LT U R E discovery and compre- C hension of the life and commitments of the gret orator born in Castres on The Theatre 8 3 September 1859. Gallery Worried about econo- The Archeological mic and social issues Research and Study of his time, Jean Jaurès Centre hosts a permanent quickly became the exhibition dedicated to the spokesperson for the discoveries made in the working class bringing Castres area. The exhibi- tion is frequently updated his eloquence and quill with discoveries made to the service of social from excavation digs improvements. He is Covering three levels of and from explorations in also one of the first the municipal theatre, progress.