HISTORY
HISTORY OF THE DOMAIN
ARRAY DOU SOU
The Domaine Array Dou Sou (Ray of Sun in Gascon) where the former Château des Évêques de Dax is located, is a true witness to the eventful history of Gascony. From prehistory to the present day, the estate has evolved over time.
From prehistory...
The area located in the commune of
Saint-Pandelon dominates the Luy river from the top of its promontory, thus offering a strategic position.
in the Middle Ages...
Around 1010, the Duke of Gascony, Sancho, donated the village of Saint-Pandelon and its ecclesiastical revenues to the monks of Sordes. At that time, a mound of earth about five meters high was erected on the steepest point of the land. A wooden tower, or keep, overlooked this mound, surrounded by an organized camp called a castrum or castellum.
The Construction
of the Tower in 1304
Between 1294 and 1304, Garsias-Arnaud de Caupenne, canon of Dax and future bishop of Dax, had a large square tower built without asking permission from the English crown. This tower, called a keep, was erected at the north-western end of the mound and dominated the surrounding countryside. Shortly afterwards, a rectangular building, called a logis, was added.
The Transformations
over the centuries
• 1451: A gate tower was added to the south-east of the mound, marking the creation of the walls surrounding the courtyard.
• 1555-1585: François de Noailles, Ambassador of Rome, Venice and Constantinople under the crown of France, transformed the castle by adding elements such as a spiral staircase and a studiolo.
• 1639-1658: Jacques Desclaux, and his friend Saint Vincent de Paul, modified the West facade by filling in certain windows to make them more humble.
• 1666-1736: the Château served as a seminary for more than 70 years, under the leadership of Hugues de Bar.
• 1771 - 1790: Charles-Auguste Le Quien de La Neufville, arriving from the court of Versaille, replaced the spiral staircase and converted the North wing into a sumptuous apartment.
• 1791, following the French Revolution , the castle was sold as national property to Jean-Jacques Ducros de Bellepeyre, who restored it. The chapel disappeared in a fire and the orangery was erected in its place .
From the 19th Century to the Present Day
At the end of the 19th century, the Darracq couple undertook the restoration of the north wing. During the Spanish Civil War, Benedictine nuns found refuge in the castle, which was then occupied by German soldiers during the Second World War.
In 1966, the castle was acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Subes who created a tapestry workshop to reconstruct the tapestries of Charles Auguste (1771).
In 2021, after eight years of abandonment and an advanced state of disrepair, my brother and I bought the castle with the intention of restoring its former glory by opening it to the public for private or cultural events and welcoming 600 CM1 pupils from the greater Dax area to share the architectural history and the different botanical species of the listed park.
PARTICIPATE IN THE
PRESERVATION OF HERITAGE
Domaine Array Dou Sou is not only an exceptional reception venue,
but also a historical conservation project.
By celebrating your events here, you are participating in the preservation of this emblematic place
from the Landes of Gascony.