Study, Demolish, Rebuil

Despite the many transformations it has undergone, the Château de Pau still bears the architectural and ornamental imprint of the changes commissioned by the successive lords and sovereigns who inherited it from the 11^th century onwards. The arcades supporting the crenellations of the towers, the architectural details punctuating the façades—such as the returned stringcourses, the finials of the dormer windows, and the delicate carvings of the window crosses—offered countless opportunities for draftsmen, ever fond of architectural landscapes, to train both eye and hand.

These motifs also inspired the admiration and respect of the architects responsible for restoration works between 1820 and 1920. Thus, Gabriel Auguste Ancelet had casts made of the sculpted ornaments in the main courtyard to serve both for the restoration of the sculptures and for the design of the peristyle, an emblematic transformation of the château under the Second Empire, completed in 1862. The detailed execution drawing, used by the artisans carrying out the work, demonstrates the level of precision and the wealth of detail required for such a project. The photograph by Davanne and the stereoscopic view by Andrieu immerse us in this active construction site, as if the sound of chisels striking stone and the creak of pulleys still resonated today.

When examining these two records, the method of preservation and integration of the decorative elements becomes even clearer. The dormer windows in the courtyard display a patchwork of tones: the newly carved stones just installed appear bright, contrasting with the older ones that were preserved—there was no need to replace them if their condition allowed for conservation.
Ancelet demonstrated his talent in the respectful assimilation of existing models visible nearby, while following in the footsteps of Latapie, Famin, and Paccard, who had each contributed to the design of this façade. Thus, the guiding principles of the emerging Historic Monuments doctrine were already being applied at the Château de Pau, which—though listed as a historic monument since 1840—did not at that time fall under the authority of the official Historic Monuments Service.

The search for the most faithful motif requires a lengthy process that begins with study and continues on the construction site itself. The plaster model decorated with multiple vegetal motifs is a vivid example: like a portable catalogue, it enabled Ancelet to choose the designs for the fifteen keystones of the peristyle, elements that were fundamental to the structure and balance of the entire work.

The two watercolors by Lafollye likewise reflect the stages of thought pursued by the architect and his taste for eclecticism. The Gothic and Renaissance motifs from the courtyard interior are reproduced and subtly arranged. These represent the final phases of the consolidation and restoration projects for the staircase pavilion and the passage connecting the south wing to the keep. The Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie preserves the definitive plans submitted by Lafollye and approved by the Minister of the Emperor’s Household and Fine Arts on 3 February 1866 and 15 February 1869 respectively.

Over those three years, the design of the parapet wall evolved: from a crenellated structure punctuated by trilobed arches, it became a solid, raised wall intended to bear an armorial shield, glorifying the role of Napoleon III, the patron of extensive works that permanently shaped the profile of the château as we know it today.a