| What is it? |
Now a school (Le collège La Citadelle), the citadel was the apex of military fortifications in St. Jean Pied-de-Port! |
| What makes it historical? |
The citadel was a direct result of ongoing wars between Spain and France in the 17th century, meant to be a French stronghold between Bayonne and Pamplona! It was built in 1628 by Cardinal Richelieu, destroyed by the Spanish, and rebuilt Sebastian le Prestre de Vauban! Its more modern design proved invaluable during the French Revolution, even more so as a sanctuary for children fleeing the Spanish Civil War in 1936-1939! |
| HOW CAN I HELP KEEP IT HISTORICAL? |
IT’S EASY!
- You can pay the entrance fee and contribute toward site maintenance, sign design, and other visitor services!
- You can be a responsible visitor! That means respecting the signs and pathways and treating all structures and artifacts with respect! After all, they’ve endured a lot already to make it into the present! They’ll need our help to make it to the future!
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| How do I find it? |
St. Jean is a pretty small town with limited addresses, but luckily, the citadel is at the highest part of the whole city! The address is:
Rue de la Citadelle
64220 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
France
From Lyon: ~488mi (786km) — 8.2hrs
From Marseille: ~433mi (697km) — 7.3hrs
From Paris: ~508mi (818km) — 8.5hrs
From Strasbourg: ~748mi (1204km) — 12.5hrs |
| When should I go? |
You can take a tour of the citadel in July and August when school isn’t in session. Tours are on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2.30pm! |
