Celebrating Henry IV
One of the most famous kings in the history of France, well-loved for his quote about “chicken in the pot”, renowned for his white plume and known by the legendary nickname, “the Green gallant”, Henry IV was also the King of the Edict of Nantes, which granted Protestants the freedom to worship - a monarch keen to reconstruct the kingdom that had been devastated by previous wars.
2010 is a year to pay tribute to Henry IV of France and Navarre, who was assassinated by Ravaillac upon leaving the Louvre Palace in Paris, on 14th May 1610.
(Illustration credit: Archivio fotografico della Soprintendenza SSPSAE e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze).
A number of events are scheduled throughout the country during this anniversary year. Those in Aquitaine include:
:: Pau, Château de Pau National Museum, exhibition “Paris is well worth a mass!” 1610: tribute from the House of Medici to Henry IV, King of France and Navarre“, 31st March to 30th June 200.
:: Pau, Château de Pau National Museum, conference on regicides in Europe, 17th to 19th June.
:: Pau, château illumination show, 14th and 22nd May, 5th and 21st June and 13th July.
:: Pau, château grounds, horse show, August (date to be confirmed).
:: Bordeaux Museum of Decorative Arts, exhibition: “Henry IV and royalist propaganda during the Restoration”, 8th February to 6th September.
:: Nérac, during the Museums by Night event at the château, drama production, “1610, the assassination of Henry IV and the birth of a legend”, Saturday 15th May.
:: Nérac, study day "The king is dead, long live the good king! Henry IV after his reign”, Saturday 15th May.
:: Nérac, conference on The Court of Nérac, 1579-1581: literature, history, music, 28th-29th May.
>> A full programme of events will be updated and displayed on the web site of the Henry IV Society: www.societe-henri-iv.eu/products.html
>> Visit the site of Pau tourist office: www.pau-pyrenees.com
>> Visit the site of Bordeaux tourist office: www.bordeaux-tourisme.com
>> Visit the site of Nérac tourist office: www.albret-tourisme.com
This is also an ideal opportunity to visit the most symbolic places connected with lou nouste Henric:
:: The city of Pau and notably the château where Henry IV was born on 13th December 1553 >> visit the château web site.
:: The town of Nérac, the seigneury of Albret where he flirted with the gardener’s daughter, Fleuerette, as a teenager >> visit the tourist office web site.
:: The nearby Barbaste mill, where he enjoyed spending time during his game hunting excursions >> watch a video about the mill.
:: The Château de Cazeneuve, the favoured residence of the house of Albret where Margot was sent to stay at the time of the annulment of their marriage. His son, Louis XIII and subsequently his grandson, Louis XIV, also stayed here on the road to Saint-Jean-de-Luz where Louis XIV married the Infanta of Spain. >> visit the château web site.
