Thesaurus

The town was occupied by Romans. It was seized for a time by the Saracens (Arabs). In the 10th century it became the capital of the ancient countship of Bigorre, and it was captured by the English during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). It suffered greatly in the Wars of Religion in the late 16th century. It was the scene of an English victory over the French 1814. It is noted as the birthplace of the poet Théophile Gautier and Marshall Ferdinand Foch.