In Béarn, a call for donations to renovate the house of Henri IV's mother

Wednesday April 10, the City of Orthez (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) signed a partnership with the Heritage Foundation, reports the daily Sud Ouest. The aim of the agreement is to recover the amount of funds necessary for the renovation of one of the most beautiful buildings in the town: the house of Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre and mother of Henri IV. The collection, in the form of a call for donations, would make it possible to finance the work in order to reduce as much as possible the bill for the municipality, which included the 15th century manor house in its heritage in 1979.

Since 1995, the walls of the house have housed a museum in memory of the mother of “good King Henry”. The need for renovation is “urgent”, according to Mayor Emmanuel Hanon: we find asbestos under the windows and cracks on both sides of the building; the roof is damaged and the frame needs to be consolidated.

Originally a simple fortified house, the property was offered to the King of Navarre Antoine de Bourbon and his wife Jeanne d'Albret, daughter of Henri II of Navarre, Viscount of Béarn, Count of Foix and Lord of Albret. Hence the nickname “Maison du Roy”. When Pau was in danger from the plague, the town's castle was unused. Thus, the house located in Orthez, a Protestant stronghold in France, served as shelter for the queen and her young son, future Henri IV.

The wing overlooking Rue Bourg-Vieux was oriented “so as to create a small courtyard highlighting the main entrance at the foot of the staircase turret”, informs the dedicated Orthez town hall website page. to the building. Basically, this is where the Clock Tower stood, destroyed in the 19th century. This week, the work was finally launched, starting with the installation of the first scaffolding on the facade of the house, we learned from Sud Ouest.

In 2016, the budget planned for the work was estimated at 270,000 euros, according to the Orthézian mayor. The amount now stands at 665,329 euros excluding tax, specifies the councilor. However, “it’s really a necessity,” explains the president of the museum association, Élisabeth Rodes, to Sud Ouest. The construction site mainly concerns the roof covering, the facades and then the joinery.

Furthermore, the house being classified as a historic monument, the renovation must be carried out within the framework of very specific standards and regulations, which contributes to increasing the amount of the bill. The duration of this rigorous work is set at six months. However, the “Maison du Roy” must remain “open to the public as much as possible”, according to Élisabeth Rodes. “We will adapt,” she concludes.

The budget devoted to the renovation represents the municipality's largest investment for 2024. Fortunately - the house is therefore classified as a historic monument - the bill will be partially covered by the regional directorate of cultural affairs (Drac) of Nouvelle-Aquitaine , which plans to contribute 255,144 euros. In addition, the region itself has committed to participating to the tune of 93,300 euros. Finally, a file was submitted by the City in order to benefit from an envelope from the European Leader fund (Liaison Entre Action de Développement de l'Économie Rurale, created in 1991 at the initiative of France).

However, it is up to the municipality to direct the work and cover the financing of the remainder, which cannot be less than 20% of the total price of the project. This is where the famous call for donations comes in, the objective of which is to reach 25,000 euros. These collections can also “result in private and national patrons”, according to Jean Masmontet, departmental representative of the Foundation in Béarn.

Donation forms are available at the museum and at the town hall.