Translation of the perimeter of the castle
A little history of the perimeter of the castle and its gardens
Its current shape dates back to the castle improvement works carried out in the 14th century by Gaston Fébus, supervised by Sicart de Lordat, who created and levelled the open space that it is today.
In the 16th century, the castle perimeter was adorned wih tunnels and galleries and called the little garden (as opposed to the large upper and lower gardens). It offered access to the large lower gardens through the Tonnelles door in the north (currently the Corisande door). When the Boulevard des Pyrénées was created between 1893 and 1899 the main entrance to the castle was redesigned to lead to walkway bordered by plane trees which were cut down between 1960 and 1980.
Today, the south side, facing the Pyrénées, is organised around some remains that are medieval (a cistern, a glacis and part of a fortified wall) and also some more recent (a statue of Gaston Fébus, created by sculptor Henry de Triqueti in 1864). The little garden composed of squares planted with aromatics and flowers and bordered with wooden fences evokes the medieval medicinal garden. A fundamental renovation of the castle perimeter is needed. The repairs to the supporting walls, which were begun in 2015, is the first phase.