HAGETMAU AND CYCLING
Hagetmau has never hosted the Tour de France, but this small town of nearly 5,000 inhabitants already had a taste of it in 2021, when the 19th stage passed through the town after starting in Mourenx, 40 km away. Slovenian Matej Mohoric won the stage in Libourne. The "Pearl of Chalosse", roughly equidistant from Pau and Mont-de-Marsan, is close to other towns that have hosted the world's greatest cycling race, such as Orthez (25 km away, in 2017), while five other towns in the Landes region had already had this honour, almost all of them located in the west of the department. In 2023, the 7th stage had already started in the Landes and its prefecture, Mont-de-Marsan, ending in Bordeaux, where Jasper Philipsen raised his arms in victory. The influence of another sprinter, André Darrigade, the greatest cyclist in the history of the Landes, certainly played a part in enabling Hagetmau to achieve this accolade. In addition, a baker from the town will be watching the race closely, as Jean-Robert Burgaudeau is the uncle of Mathieu Burgaudeau, the TotalEnergies team's breakaway rider, who has competed in five Tours de France since 2020 and won a stage of Paris-Nice in 2022.
HAGETMAU
Crypt of Saint-Girons
Construction: 12th century
Style: Romanesque
History: The abbey was built on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Girons, who evangelised the region in the 5th century. Its creation is thought to date back to Charlemagne, but no religious community is recorded until the 12th century. The abbey church was damaged during the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of Religion, and completely destroyed in 1904.
Characteristics: Only the 12 m × 7.6 m crypt has been preserved. Its restored vault is supported by four central columns of red and black marble from a Gallo-Roman building, topped with historiated capitals. One depicts Lazarus and the rich man, evoking the punishment of avarice.
Listed as: Historic monument since 1862.
Church of Saint Mary Magdalene
Construction: 19th century
Style: Neo-Gothic
History and characteristics: Built to replace the dilapidated Saint-Girons abbey church, the foundation stone was laid in 1884 by Bishop Mgr Delannoy and the church inaugurated in 1886. Saint-Girons church was destroyed in 1904, leaving only the crypt.
Special features: The stained-glass windows (1886) by G-P Dagrand depict St. Girons to the south and St. Roch to the north. The south chapel of the choir contains a painting of Mary Magdalene in the desert by Louis-Anselme Longa (1840). Murals on the apse show Mary Magdalene, inspired by Joseph Castaing’s 1911 fresco in Pau.
Lake Agès
Characteristics: A private lake covering the former Agès pond, spanning 67 hectares. It is used for irrigation and low water level support, mainly fed by spring water from the Agès stream. Classified as a second-category lake, it is suitable for fishing white fish, carp, and predators.
Hagetmau Bullring
Construction: First permanent structure in 1963
Characteristics: Concrete municipal bullring with a capacity of 4,000–4,500 people. Replaced an older wooden bullring on Place du Marché and then Place des Arènes. Hosts Landes-style and Spanish-style bullfighting, mainly novilladas and becerradas. The main Landes-style festival is held in early August, including competitions for bullfighters and jumpers.
