Atravesada de nuevo por el Tour de Francia en 2026, en la etapa entre Lannemezan y Pau, Maubourguet acogió la salida de la 19ª etapa en 2014. El pelotón se dirigió a Bergerac, donde Ramunas Navardauskas se adelantó a los velocistas para firmar el único triunfo lituano en la Grande Boucle. El municipio es escenario habitual de etapas del Tour du Piémont Pyrénéen, organizado por Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. El doble vencedor de la París-Roubaix es originario del vecino municipio de Lembeye.
- Ciudad etapa por 2ª vez
- Municipio de Altos Pirineos (65)
- Habitantes: 2300
- maubourguet.fr • hautespyrenees.fr
Maubourguet and cycling
Set to be on the Tour de France route again in 2026, on the stage from Lannemezan to Pau, Maubourguet hosted the start of a stage in 2014. The peloton raced towards Bergerac, where Ramunas Navardauskas beat the sprinters to claim Lithuania’s only victory in the Tour de France. The town regularly hosts stages of the Tour du Piémont Pyrénéen, organised by Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. The two-time winner of Paris–Roubaix hails from the neighbouring town of Lembeye.
Jean Glavany, a former mayor of the town, is no stranger to the Tour de France. He accompanied President François Mitterrand – for whom he served as chief of staff – during the president’s surprise visit to the race in 1985. Twenty-eight years later, it was François Hollande whom Jean Glavany, a local MP, accompanied during the President’s visit to the 2013 Tour between Saint-Lary and Bagnères-de-Bigorre. He was also present when Christian Prudhomme and Raymond Poulidor travelled to Maubourguet to present this stage of the 2014 Tour.
Sights
Church of the Assumption
Built: 11th to 14th centuries.
Style: Romanesque.
History: The present church, built during the 11th century, was a priory church belonging to the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Martin de Celle, the first known name of the town of Maubourguet. Archaeological research has revealed earlier settlements: Neolithic and protohistoric, a building from the Gallo-Roman period, a 6th-century basilica and a Carolingian church. During the Hundred Years’ War, the English occupied the monastery and fortified it with ramparts and towers. In the 16th century, priests replaced the monks at the priory. Renovation work on the church took place in the late 19th century and during the 1980s.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1980.
Saint-Girons estate and mosaic depicting the god Ocean
Date: 4th or 5th century.
History: the Gallo-Roman site of Saint-Girons and the mosaic depicting the god Ocean were discovered in 1979 by a local contractor during earthworks. Fragments of sarcophagi and graves support the theory that this was a Christian place of worship in Late Antiquity, as suggested by the place name Saint-Girons, one of the evangelisers of Roman Gaul. The mosaic was removed in 2005 and reinstalled within the archaeological museum, which opened in 2011 in Maubourguet.
Characteristics: the mosaic formed part of the decoration of a cold-water pool (frigidarium) in the baths of a major Gallo-Roman villa. It measures 4.67 m by 4.30 m. It was bounded by walls 70 cm wide. The figure of the god Oceanus is depicted at the centre of the mosaic. He is surrounded by aquatic animals: fish, octopuses, ducks and dolphins.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1980.
Archaeological Museum
In 1979, the mosaic depicting the god Oceanus was discovered in Maubourguet. Now the centrepiece of the Museum’s collection, it is surrounded by archaeological artefacts dating from prehistory to the Middle Ages: an immersion in the history of humankind in the Val d’Adour spanning 2,000 centuries.
Fabre Foundry, The Foundry
History: founded in 1870 by Jules Fabre, the Fabre Foundry was, for much of the 20th century, a flagship of the department’s industry. It produced industrial spare parts, fireplace surrounds and ‘Bigourdans’ – cast-iron stoves. In the 1980s, the Fabre heirs sold the foundry, and it closed its doors for good in 2008. Left to fall into disrepair, it was looted and vandalised for several years before being bought by the Russian artist Andrei Molodkin in 2015. The Foundry was born.
Characteristics: The Foundry aims to be an experimental artists’ residence offering radical (and media-driven) artistic experiences. In 2024, its founder threatened to destroy 16 masterpieces of art (by Picasso, Rembrandt and Warhol) if the whistleblower Julian Assange were extradited to the United States. Andrei Molodkin claimed to have received these works from collectors who supported the project. Julien Assange was released in 2024 following a deal with the US authorities.
17 km away:
Montaner Castle
Built: 14th century.
History: Montaner Castle was built at the request of Gaston Fébus between 1374 and 1380 to protect the borders of Béarn against Bigorre and Armagnac.
The architect was Sicard de Lordat. In 1379, negotiations took place with the ‘cagots’ of Béarn (carpenters who were considered ‘untouchable’) to have them build the castle’s timber framework in exchange for a significant tax exemption. Following the death of Gaston Fébus, the renovation of the fort in 1398 exempted these Cagots, in accordance with the terms of the contract, from their ‘cagoteries’, just as clergymen were exempt from their benefices. Since 1854, the castle has been restored and managed by the General Council of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Features: the castle, built of brick, comprises a vast polygonal enclosure pierced by two gates and crowned by a tall square keep. The main tower, 40 metres high, serves as a gatehouse and still provides access today to the almost circular inner courtyard. The tower is crowned by a replica of the original coat of arms of Foix-Béarn, itself surmounted by the motto ‘Fébus mé fé’, meaning ‘Fébus made me’, which Gaston Fébus had affixed to the buildings he commissioned.
Current use: in summer, numerous shows and events on the theme of the Middle Ages are organised. The Friends of Montaner Castle have been restoring the castle since the 1960s. In summer, the Montaner Medieval Festival attracts nearly 18,000 visitors over two days until 2025, when a new company will take over the running of the event.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1980.
14 km away:
The Marciac Jazz Festival
Launched in 1978, this event has become one of the summer’s most popular festivals. Over 200,000 visitors flock there to hear the most renowned musicians: Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis and Sonny Rollins, for example, have all performed there.
