At the heart of the Pyrénées is the Lavedan, a mountainous region of France that forms a group of valleys upstream of Lourdes. Located in Lourdes is a historic castle that in 1933 was designated a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
It was well deserved.
The Château fort de Lourdes’ origins date back to Roman times, and in 778, it was surrounded by Charlemagne’s troops after which time it became the home of the Counts of Bigorre in the 11th and 12th centuries.
In the 13th century, ownership of the castle went to the Counts of Champagne, but in time, it would come under the crown of France under Philippe le Bel.
The Treaty of Brétigny signed in 1360 saw it go to the English, but at the start of the 15th century, the castle would return to France after two sieges. After the French Revolution, the castle became a state prison which it stayed until the start of the 20th century when it became the Pyrenean Museum, and that’s what it is today.
The Chateau Fort of Lourdes
Our interest in the castle has to do with a chap named “Bourdet,” the historian of the then Chateau of Lourdes, and specifically, his writings. In 1407, he described the regular guard dogs known as Le Chien de Montagne des Pyrenees, dogs who were given a special place in sentry boxes alongside armed guards. They also accompanied jailers as they made their rounds, inspiring Bourdet to write of the usefulness of the “Great Dogs of the Mountains.” In looking at the photo of the castle, one can imagine these great white dogs strolling around the parameters, each wearing a broad, spiked iron collar to protect their throat from wolves and bears. Two hundred and sixty seven years later, the breed’s beauty, and inherent traits of devotion and loyalty lead King Louis XIV’s royal court declared the Great Pyrenees the Royal Dog of France.
Bas-relief sculptures of the breed over the North Gate of Carcassone bearing the Royal Arms of France some 500 years before its adoption as the Court Dog of the Seventeenth Century suggest that the dog was already a favorite of nobles long before the Sun King decreed it.
Image: “Pyrenean Pals” was the last in a series of three prints produced by Mike Sibley for the Pyrenean Mountain Dog Club of Great Britain to commemorate its Silver Jubilee. The limited edition of 200 was released on July 15th, 1996 and sold out before the end of the year. In 1997, a release of 31 Artists Proofs was made, all of which were purchased by an American dealer and sold immediately. The original drawing took 116 hours to complete and is available for sale here.