Tarbes

Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as Turba or Tarba in Roman times. Tarbes is part of the historical region of Gascony.

Formerly of strong industrial tradition, Tarbes today tries to diversify its activities, particularly in aeronautics and high tech around the different zones of activities which are increasing. The recent development of Tarbais beans (fr) and other regional specialties also shows a willingness to develop the agri-food industry thus justifying its nickname of "market town". With 116,056 inhabitants in 2011, it is the second largest metropolitan area (fr) in the Occitanie region. Its 42,888 inhabitants are called Tarbaises and the Tarbais.

It is the seat of the diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes. The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment are stationed in Tarbes.

Geography

Location

Tarbes is a Pre-Pyrenees town within the rich agricultural plain of the river Adour, 155 kilometres (96 miles) southwest of Toulouse, 144 kilometres (89 miles) to the east of Bayonne, 70 kilometres (43 miles) southwest of Auch and 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Lourdes. Tarbes is 1 hr 30 mins from the Atlantic Ocean, 2 hrs 50 mins from the Languedoc coast and 35 minutes from the nearest ski resorts. It is located at an average elevation of 304 metres (997 feet).

To the south of Tarbes, along with the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, is the border with Spain. The Pyrenees mountains, lying along the border between France and Spain, can be seen from the town.

Hydrography

Tarbes is crossed to the east by the Adour river and to the west by the Échez and by the Gespe, a tributary which joins the Échez on the territory of the commune.

Neighbouring communes

Toponymy

The town was named for the first time in the 5th century as Civitas Turba ubi castrum Bigòrra. It was an important city of the Novempopulania. Gregory of Tours in the 6th century named Talvam vicum.

In the Middle Ages it was called Tarbé (1214), Tursa, Tarvia (1284) and also Tarbia. Not to be confused with the Tarbelles, whose capital was Dax.

Legendary origin of the name

Legend holds that the Queen of Ethiopia, Tarbis, proposed her love to Moses and that he refused. Inconsolable, she decided to leave her throne and hide her disappointment. After many wanderings, she arrived in Bigorre and built her home on the Adour to found the town of Tarbes, and its sister, on the banks of the Gave de Pau, arose as Lourdes.

History

Antiquity

In the 3rd century BC, the foundations of Tarbes began to emerge, based on the testimonies of the exhumed remains which had been buried. By need for salt trade, merchants who were likely Aquitanians travelled across the Pyrenean foothills. To continue their journey, they had to use a ford in order to cross the Adour which descended from the mountain. It was more prudent to split the loads to cross the ford as a result of which a pause was necessary. The bottom of the valley was dominated by a sandy emergence which prompted people to settle there.

Then, Tarba experienced a Roman colonisation and acquired ancient villas and large agricultural estates, found particularly in the Ormeau quarter. The existence of craft has been verified by the remains of the workshops of potters and weavers. The urban core, meanwhile, assumed the administrative functions and would have had an early Christian church in the 4th century.

Middle Ages

In the 5th and 6th centuries, as a result of the barbarian invasions which swept in successive waves, the city shrank around the castrum, of which a remnant remains in the rear courtyard of the prefecture.

In about 840 AD, the Vikings led a devastating raid following which the Bishop of Bigorre reported that the city Bigorre was beginning with the cathedral, named with originality, la Sède.

At the end of the 12th century, the count of Bigorre settled in his castle of Tarbes, resulting with the court of justice being in his suite. Then, the capital of Bigorre received a Royal Seneschal.

Two noble houses were founded in the 13th century, outside the walls, one the convent of the Cordeliers near Carrère Longue, the other being that of the Carmelites in the vicinity of the Bourg Crabé.

At the end of the medieval centuries, the city was composed of six separate fortified towns, juxtaposed and aligned on an east-west axis, where the original core was ordered around the cathedral. There were thus la Sède, Carrère, Maubourguet and Bourg Vieux flanked to the east of the Count's castle, with Bourg Neuf and Bourg Crabé each surrounded by their own walls.

During the Wars of Religion, in 1569, the troops of Jeanne d'Albret burned the cathedral, the convents and other churches as well as the bishopric. Despite the strategic destruction to try to defend Bourg Vieux, the inhabitants were massacred.

Early Modern era

In the 17th century, after the plague and the problems of housing people of war, Tarbes ensured its revival with the reconstruction of the Episcopal Palace in 1652 (today the office of the prefecture), the foundation of a third hospital in 1690 and two new convents (Capuchins and Ursulines). Irrigation of the land and the water power used by the craftsmen were produced by the system of canals derived from the Adour.

The 18th century announced a growth of the population, and the development of agriculture, crafts and trade. The town expanded and new quarters appeared (such as the current Rue Maréchal-Foch). Then, the Constituent Assembly, which included Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac (Deputy of Bigorre to the Estates-General), decided to undertake administrative reform and Tarbes benefitted by becoming capital of the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

19th century

From 1800, Tarbes became the chef-lieu and headquarters of a prefecture (an increase of its administrative role and its functions). In 1806, Napoleon I re-established the National Stud of Tarbes (fr) and Tarbes gave birth to the Anglo-Arabian horse breed. In 1859, Tarbes was connected to Paris by rail.

In the 19th century, various legacies enrich the public spaces of Tarbes. In 1853, Placide Massey (fr) bequeathed to the city the eponymous garden, still unfinished. In 1877, a donation by the former Mayor Antoine Brauhauban was responsible for the construction of an imposing hall which bore his name (this building was destroyed in 1970 to establish outdoor parking). The end of the 19th century still saw the construction of the two fountains of Place Marcadieu, a legacy of the benefactor Félicitée Duvignau.

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, General Verchère de Reffye transformed the experimental workshop of Meudon (transferred by train to Tarbes) construction of an artillery workshop (called an arsenal by the people of Tarbes). Thus, Tarbes became an industrial and working-class town but also asserted its military vocation by the construction of the Larrey, Soult and Reffye quarters.

20th century

During World War I, Tarbes intensified its production of artillery by virtue of its geographical position in the back country. Marshal Foch, Commander-in-Chief of all allied armies, was born in Tarbes in 1851.

During World War II, the Resistance was also part of the everyday life of the town of Tarbes, which was awarded the Croix de Guerre.

After the return of peace, the industry diversified and there was an expansion of the population. Tarbes remained a city of strong military character.

21st century

Today, Tarbes has also become a university city and the main activities are now within the tertiary sector (services). In addition to its privileged geographical situation, less than an hour from the Pyrenees mountains, two hours from the Atlantic Ocean and three hours from the Mediterranean via the La Pyrénéenne autoroute, the city offers a certain lifestyle and boasts a cultural life which is packed with clubs and sport.

Heraldry

Transport

Air

The small Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the town centre. This airport is served by HOP! which provides three daily and two weekend air services to Paris-Orly. Jetairfly, which ensures a connection of two flights a week during the summer, and Thomas Cook Airlines (charter flight) also connects to Brussels Airport. Ryanair serves London-Stansted and Milan Bergamo, with two and three flights a week, respectively. Meridiana connects to Rome and finally Air Nostrum (Iberia Regional) offers two flights per week to Madrid Barajas. The airport also offers seasonal charter flights to and from the largest European cities.

• Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport

• Exterior of the main building

• Interior of the departure hall

• Interior of the departure hall

• Interior of the departure hall

Rail

The Gare de Tarbes railway station offers direct connections with Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Bayonne and several regional destinations.

The TGV makes several times per day the junction with the Paris-Montparnasse station with a journey of six hours. It also allows connection to Bordeaux in three hours. This offer is complemented by that of the TER, Intercités and Intercités de Nuit (night trains, ex-Lunéa) for important exchanges with Toulouse, Pau and the Basque coast. These provide further connections, without another change of train, with Lyon, Irun and also Geneva.

Road

Tarbes is also served by the A64 allowing in the direction of Toulouse, to drive freely to Lannemezan or Capvern, and towards Bayonne and joining Pau, which is also accessible from the RD 817 (fr).

Movements are facilitated by a boulevard circling the town. The recent development of the different centres of activity around Tarbes has promoted the creation of the southwest ring road which should extend to the north towards the D935 (Route de Bordeaux) and the N21 (Route d'Auch). A southern bypass is also projected between Tarbes-east to the Juillan interchange and the airport. Finally, a ring road is under consideration, which would connect Séméac to Orleix.

The new portion of dual-carriageway of the N21 which opened in December 2012 between Tarbes and Lourdes aims to promote economic and tourism links between the Bigorre capital and second city of the department, as well as to Argelès-Gazost already connected a Marian estate by a dual-carriageway section.

The RD935 (fr) and the RD8 allow they to go to Bagnères-de-Bigorre.

Public transport

The communes of Grand Tarbes (fr) are served by a bus network called Alezan. An electric shuttle for the town centre. Finally, it is possible to rent cycles in the Place du Foirail, under the Vél'en Ville system.

Outstanding public buildings and places

Public buildings

The city hall and the courthouse, classical buildings of the 19th century, adjoin the Rue Maréchal-Foch. Built in 1907, it is denoted by its candid monumentality. It is surmounted by a bell tower and faces the Place Jean-Jaurès enthroned with a statue of Danton. On the façade, one can read the motto "Concord, liberty, equality, fraternity, labour." The Hôtel Brauhauban, an 18th-century mansion, is one of its annexes.

Not far away, the Police headquarters occupies two mansions built on the north walls filled in the 18th century to give birth to the current Rue Georges-Clemenceau. The Academy of Inspection of Hautes-Pyrénées occupies a former school, built at the end of the 19th century.

In the La Sède quarter, the prefecture (fr) was housed in the old Episcopal Palace, rebuilt in the 17th century. Not far away, lies the old college of Tarbes which became the Lycée Impérial in 1853 and was renamed Lycée Théophile Gautier in 1911. The Council General of Hautes-Pyrénées also has several buildings including the former seminary of priests of the 18th century. The departmental archives are housed in a remarkable building from 1936.

Three places are devoted to the markets: The market hall and the Place Marcadieu, Brauhauban market hall and the Place du Foirail. Near the Brauhauban market hall is an Italian theatre, known as the Théâtre des Nouveautés, which was built in 1885.

Fountains and squares

The city has many fountains. The Place Marcadieu and Place Verdun reproduce the same pattern: They each have two fountains spread at either ends and not in the middle.

Félicitée Duvignau initiated this peculiarity, in Place Marcadieu, by bequest wishing for the building of fountains at each end of this vast esplanade. This relates to an eponymous Baltard-type market hall building in 1883. Inaugurated in 1897, the monumental fountain of the Quatre-Vallées, combining cast iron and sculpture, figures the valleys of Bagnères, Aure, Argelès and the plain of Tarbes. At the other end of the square, the more modest "Source de l'amour" [Source of love], presents an echo of the style.

The Montaut fountain is set at the centre of this public space and was moved close to the square of the same name. Named after its donor, it is carved in stone by Nelli of the Pyrenees and was first erected in 1874.

In 2008, the ensemble was further complemented by the construction of a nearby square planted with palm trees, in the north of its namesake Sainte-Thérèse Church.

The Place de Verdun has fountains of a much more contemporary appearance. To the south, the Grande Fontaine [Great Fountain] forms a playful bell of water. It is assisted in the north by the Droits de l'Enfant [Rights of the Child] fountain, where a water jet raises a ball which can be rotated by only the force of the wrist.

The Alhambra fountain, a replica of the mythical Alhambra fountain in Granada, Spain. The fountain is located at 43 Rue Maréchal-Foch in an open-air shopping area. Around the fountain is a landscaping of greenery.

The Fontaine de l'Inondation [Fountain of the Flood] which was installed in the Place de Verdun in 1901 was relocated, in 1934, to the Place de la Courteboule in the Soult quarter. It features a family and its goat fleeing the waters contained therein. This is an allusion to the flood of 1875.

Other fountains can also be mentioned such as the one of the Cours Reffye, the one in Place Saint-Jean and that of La Gespe in the Place André-Guerlain.

Military heritage

The Haras de Tarbes (fr) is composed of an 8 hectares (20 acres) park with Empire-syle buildings including the Maison du Cheval. It was created by Napoleon in 1806 and is the birthplace of a refined breed of horses, the Anglo-Arabian, which are provided to the regiments of hussars. The buildings were built with mostly local materials: Grey marmorifere stone, pebbles of the Adour, bricks and slates. It has a riding school and stables including boxes and with a set of remarkable chestnut panelled ceilings.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Jean-Baptiste Verchère de Reffye establishes, in the old store of tobacco in Tarbes, an artillery workshop commonly referred to as "Arsenal". It was used for military armament production until 2006. The site is today turning towards the tertiary sector. The old tobacco store houses the Municipal Archives and the Massey Museum reserves. In front stands the House of associations and its bell tower.

The development of the Larrey, Soult and Reffye quarters saw the assertion of the military role of Tarbes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Several barracks were built. With regard to the Larrey barracks (1825), the majesty of the central building, 150 metres (492 feet) long and flanked by two side buildings, is reinforced by the existence of an accessible courtyard from a portal framed by two pavilions of neoclassical inspiration. The ensemble is located in the axis of the Leclerc martial walkways which concentrate memorials including the monumental equestrian statue of Marshal Foch erected in 1935. Firmin Michelet (fr) is represented riding Marboré, a horse owned by the Fould family.

The Reffye high school is an old military barracks surrendered by the army after World War II.

Industrial remains

The former site of the Arsenal has been renovated to accommodate shops, places of leisure (cinema, a second bowling facility, laser quest, restaurants, etc.), municipal or community buildings (archives, maison des associations, business, etc.) and companies. The industrial architecture of the place is preserved. Its genesis took place in 1871 with Jean-Baptiste Verchère de Reffye as the main protagonist. Its industrial deterioration occurred following the 2003 announcement of the closure of the GIAT site, heir to the arsenal of 1871.

• Former industrial buildings in Tarbes

• Arsenal building 100 became the Maison des Associations

• Building 119 became a cinema complex

• Building 103 became the municipal archives

• An overhead crane in building 117, which became a leisure complex

This area is adjacent, in Aureilhan, to the Oustau ceramic factory which was founded in 1873 by Laurence Oustau (fr). The factory buildings, abundantly decorated with glazed bricks, were protected as an Historic Monument in 1994.

• The Oustau ceramic factory in Aureilhan

Religious buildings

Alongside the former Episcopal Palace which became the prefecture, the Notre-Dame-de-la-Sede Cathedral has a classical façade dating from the 17th century. In contrast, the apse chapel is topped by a lantern tower which was enlarged in the Gothic period and the transept dating from the 12th century are primarily marked by the Romanesque origins of the building. The high altar has a Baroque marble canopy, the implementation of which has been attributed to Dominique Ferrère (fr). One can still see the ceiling painted by Henri Borde (fr) and the Testament of Louis XVI (fr) carved in the oratory. Saint Vincent de Paul was ordained deacon, here, in 1598.

A little further from the city centre, in the direction of Pau or Ibos, is located the Sainte-Anne Church.

The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, commonly known as St. John's Church, is located in the heart of the commercial centre, straddling the pedestrianised Rue Brauhauban, and the Rue Maréchal-Foch. Repeatedly devastated during the Wars of Religion, its structure, dating from the 15th century, remains marked by the Meridional Gothic (fr) trend. In the Middle Ages, the building played a major role in the city and the States of Bigorre met there. The church houses a remarkable organ and many Baroque chapels. The high altar is a work of Jean Brunello. The Neo-Romanesque bell tower dates from the 17th century.

Of Languedoc Gothic style, the Sainte-Thérèse Church is opposite the market halls and the Place Marcadieu. Its history began with the establishment of the Carmelites in the 13th century. The bell tower, which is one of the oldest items, dates from the 15th century and is a remnant of the ancient abbey. The church was, however, largely renovated in the 19th century by the architect of the city, Claude Tiffon. It houses a superb organ, beautiful woodwork, some beautiful Baroque statues and paintings of Raymond-Marc Lagarrigue.

The Church of Saint-Antoine was constructed, near the site of the Arsenal, in 1896. It is thus to link to the past workers of this parish who were Conventual Franciscans.

The Church of Saint-Martin, the Sainte-Bernadette Church and the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Church, which is pyramid-shaped, are of contemporary architecture.

Founded in 1986, the Serbian Orthodox Church of Notre-Dame Source de Vie [Our Lady Source of Life] is decorated with beautiful murals.

In 2005, the first stone of the Omar Ibn al-Khattab Mosque was laid.

• Churches of Tarbes

• The Church of Saint-Anne

• The Church of Sainte-Thérèse

The current Théophile Gautier high school, once led by the Doctrinaires (brothers of Christian Doctrine), houses a chapel which has an altar which is classified as an historical monument. It was directed by the Bigorre sculptor Dominique Ferrère (fr) during the Baroque period.

The Jeanne d'Arc institution includes a chapel with decor of Art Deco inspiration.

The Ayguerote hospital, which became retirement home, includes a Baroque chapel.

The Carmelite chapel was founded in 1870. Now owned by the town of Tarbes, the chapel became a place of exhibitions. The cloister is not accessible to the public.

The Henri Duparc Conservatory has gradually invested in its adjoining chapel.

Old mansions

The Hôtel de Bricquet (17th century).

In the La Sède quarter the prefecture and the cathedral are visible, the family home of Marshal Foch dating from the 17th century was converted into a museum. It is typically of Bigorre and remains recognisable by its yellow façade. It is possible to visit the room where he was born, and the office of the Marshal, and to observe objects which are related to him.

Other fine examples of Bigorre houses are visible on the Rue de la Victoire, Rue Clémenceau and also Rue Regiment-de-Bigorre. They are recognisable by their carved wooden doors, their coloured plaster frames which enhance grey marmorifere stone, with their wooden roofed balconies and their slate roofs pierced by skylights.

Opposite the Saint-Jean Church, the birthplace of Bertrand Barère is visible.

At the mercy of the movements of his father, Théophile Gautier was also born in Rue Brauhauban. The house is still visible today. The family, however, lived there for only three years. The Rue Brauhauban is also home to the birthplace of another poet of the 19th century, Laurent Tailhade.

English Imperial style or even Neobasque (fr) villas dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, adorn the Massey Garden, the Bel Air Park, the Paul Chastellain Park and their respective quarters. The Villa Massey, in the heart of its namesake garden, is Neo-Moorish (19th century). Villa Fould, formerly the residence of Baron Achille Fould, Minister of State of Napoleon III, has been restored. It now houses the headquarters of the Pyrénées National Park. A little further away is Villa Bel Air from the beginning of the 20th century.

Art Nouveau buildings line the Rue Maréchal-Foch and Rue Bertrand Barrère.

Green spaces

Tarbes obtained its fourth flower in 2002 under the Competition of floral cities and villages and seeks to maintain this distinction. Tarbes has also received the Grand Prix national of flowering.

The Massey Garden houses a museum, the cloister of the Abbey of Saint-Sever-de-Rustan (fr), the Higher School of Art of Tarbes (fr), an orangerie, a wildlife park, a bandstand. Depending on the season, it is possible to visit by horse-drawn carriage and small train. It is thus a privileged relaxation area near to the Carmel exhibition hall, the Louis Aragon media library and the Berrens Park tennis courts.

At the centre of the Bel Air Park, sits the old Château Delong better known today as the Villa Bel Air which has become a children's recreation centre. The Sellerie Park, with a more urban aspect, is backed by a separate road.

The Chastellain Park is the haven of greenery of the Villa Fould which contains the administrative headquarters of the Pyrenees National Park.

The Échez Park, a recent green space, is attempting to unite the university quarters of Bastillac and Solazur.

Within the Laubadère quarter, Bois Blancs [White Woods] Park is, similarly, a contemporary creation. It includes five islets symbolizing the five continents plus a central island used to host events. Spaces dedicated to games and sport adorn the area devoted to Europe.

Along the leafy Leclerc paths are gathered various monuments commemorating the two world wars, and which has the equestrian statue of Marshal Foch.

The path of the banks of the Adour, also called Camin Adour, is equipped with a fitness trail and is a popular landscaped walking space enjoyed by the people of Tarbes.

Culture

Museums and exhibition spaces

The Massey Museum (fr) is best known for hosting the International Museum of the Hussars. However, it also presents a rich collection of fine arts. The building, located within the Massey Garden, is of Moorish style.

The exhibition room of Carmel is complementary. This place of awareness of art is a former Carmelite convent dating from 1870.

• Museums of Tarbes

• Carmel de Tarbes

• Carmel de Tarbes

• Massey Museum

The Museum of Deportation and Resistance, inaugurated in 1989, was the brainchild of the associations of former deportees and former resistance fighters.

The museum space of the House of the Pyrénées National Park evokes the local flora and fauna.

The French national stud displays old saddles, carriages, a farrier's workshop, etc.

In the birthplace of Marshal Foch, his room has been reconstituted, along with its alcove and his office. It preserves the memories of his personal and military objects, etc.

Musical culture

The city of Tarbes is to the delight of audiophiles, with the last independent record store of the south-west, which moved premises from Pau. Located in the city centre, at 43 Rue Maréchal-Foch, it is reserved for vinyl collectors with numerous musical genres. This place attracts French and foreign travellers as they pass through the Bigorre city.

Theatres

In addition to the exhibition halls, the various stages and theatres of the city, including that of La Gespe devoted to contemporary music. La Pari, the performing arts stage, is still a place for contemporary creativity. The main theatre remains that of the Nouveautés but Le Parvis, a multidisciplinary cultural institution combining music, dance and cinema on the outskirts in the heart of the Le Meridien commercial centre, sees many pieces played within.

A cinema with eleven rooms "all-digital and 3D" opened its doors in 2010 in a former GIAT industrial building, renovated for the occasion.

Events

Throughout the year, Tarbes offers all kinds of activities, here is a comprehensive list:

January

• Petits As tennis world tournament
• Puppy show
• Show of the artists of the Saint-Antoine quarter

February

• Funfair
• The Railwaymen Painters' Show
• Women's tournament of Basque pelota
• The Stamp Festival

March

• International Women's Day
• Days of the French language
• Agricultural fair
• The nautical Tarbes
• Day of courtesy on the road
• Martial Arts Gala
• Bullfight of Tarbes

April

• Day of Summer Jobs
• Sustainable Development Week
• Week of flavours
• The night of the Rocktambules
• Occitan week
• Used car show
• Real estate and renewable energy exhibition
• The Comic Book Festival
• National Day of Remembrance

May

• European Solar Days
• Festival Danceroots
• Forum of associations
• May of the Book
• Festival of Neighbors
• Festival of Urban Culture
• Festival of the Game
• Baptism and meetings of Capoeira

June

• "Culture of the Islands" Festival
• Ceremonies of 8–18 June
• National Philately Exhibition
• Festivals de Tarbes
• The Open Doors of the 35th RAP
• Music Festival
• Pyrenees Passions Exhibition
• Antiques exhibition
• Swimming meeting
• National carriage driving competition

July

• Equestria horse riding Festival
• Night market
• July 14 ceremony
• Night of the stars

August

• International festival of Argentine tango
• Equestria horse riding Festival
• Ceremony of the liberation of the city
• The "Vuelta" (Tour des Pyrénées)
• Night market

September

• International military music festival
• Day of the bike
• Celebration of sport in family
• Arts and Decoration fair
• Vital'Sport
• Slalom auto-sport pursuit
• Quinqua's Cup
• Heritage days
• Day of celebration of the Association Avenue de la Marne
• Parachuting Cup
• Agro-Sud Industry Show
• National day of homage to the harkis
• International dog show
• Terro'Art
• Tournament of numbers and letters
• Convention of role-playing games of the lands of the West

October

• Pyrenean days of gynaecology "Infogyn"
• Day of the Dys
• Education fair
• Fair of Tarbes
• Festival of Sainte-Thérèse
• Week of education and the fight against racism and discrimination
• World Breastfeeding Week
• Show "venue for employment"
• The Cîmes martial arts tournament

November

• Ibero-Andalusian Festival of Tarbes and of Bigorre
• Hobbies fair
• Week of the mandolin
• International solidarity week
• Nature and ecosystems show
• Tea party
• Festival of science
• Tarbais sports festival

December

• "Tarbes in December" (Christmas market, ice rink, etc.)
• Gala of ENIT

Gastronomy

• The Tarbais beans (fr)

Bigorre jealously nurtures this gem, originally from Latin America, and introduced in the 18th century in the Adour Valley. It requires soil with well defined criteria and with seeding on a specific date. Picking is done exclusively by hand, pod by pod. This exceptional bean received the Label Rouge [Red Label] in 1997 and a Protected Geographical Indication in 2000, which guarantees its level of quality.

• Madiran wine

Belongs to the mosaic of the vineyards of the south-west. In existence since Gallo-Roman times, however its actual creation date was during the 11th century, when Madiran Abbey was founded by the Benedictine monks.

Its fame was established through the pilgrims of St Jacques de Compostela who discovered it while crossing the region. Straddling three departments, Madiran is a hillside vineyard, with an area of approximately 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres). Very rich in tannins, it is a full-bodied red wine and robust, rough in its youth. After ageing, its tannins are softened and it develops aromas of great finesse, mingling the smells of toasted bread and spices and thus blends perfectly with regional dishes.

• The black pork of Bigorre

A very old breed which was rescued from extinction in 1981, this exceptional product requires outdoor rearing conditions which respect the requirements of this pedigree and relies on traditional knowledge. After 14 months of attentive care and a minimum natural refining of 18 months, the "black pork of Bigorre" gives a ham of choice, which is a real pleasure for gourmets.

• Gâteau à la broche

It is the quintessential cake from Bigorre. A very delicate cake, which has a taste of wood fire. A recipe for those who own a fireplace because the cooking is done "by spit" before flambéing. This cone is slowly basted with paste to obtain successive layers, which after several hours of cooking, give a cone-shaped cake. It can be stored for more than a month and must be consumed at the end of the third day, with or without custard.

• Pyreneean cheeses

Goat, cow, sheep or mixed (cow-sheep), etc. Farm cheese, usually molded by hand, salted and matured in a cool cellar. The producers are happy to welcome visitors, where they can discover the sheepfold and the cheese production facilities.

• Barèges mutton

Of an ancestral knowledge, the "Barèges-Gavarnie" is a meat with exceptional qualities thanks to the respect for the traditions. These traditions promote the optimal use of the natural environment, and knowledge adapted to the mountainous terrain and harsh climate. For centuries, man and nature have been joined in establishing a land of pastoralism and life.

Markets

• The "Grand Market" takes place on Thursday morning, in Place Marcadieu; Marcadieu is the name which designates the special space of the "Grand Market", which has a regional dimension and its own personality: A covered grain market in the Baltard style (1883), a fountain called des 4 vallées [the four valleys] and a second, more modest, called fontaine des sources de l'amour [fountain of the sources of love], fountains erected by local sculptors at the beginning of the 20th century.
• The food market is held every morning at the Brauhauban covered market, this is a traditional market.
• The flower market takes place on Thursday morning at the Place du Foirail, formerly a centre of livestock markets.
• The flea market is also held on Thursday morning under the Marcadieu covered market.

Military life

• Military units currently stationed in Tarbes:

• 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment, since 1953.
• 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment, since 1947.

• Military units which have been stationed in Tarbes:

• 53rd Infantry Regiment (fr), 1871-1907
• 14th Field Artillery Regiment, before 1906-1914
• 24th Field Artillery Regiment (France) (fr), 1906
• 24th Divisional Artillery Regiment, 1939-1940
• 5th Hussar Regiment, 1838-1839
• 9th Hussar Regiment, 1851-1856
• 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment, 1858
• 2nd Hussar Regiment (fr), 1859-1861
• 10th Hussar Regiment (fr), 1901-1919
• 2nd Hussar Regiment, 1919-1940
• 2nd Hussar Regiment, 1940-1942
• 2nd Hussar Regiment, 1944-1945
• 3rd Company of Mounted Cavalry, before 1906-1914
• 541st Veterinary Group

Personalities linked to the commune

Political figures

• François de Mazières, born May 22, 1960 in Tarbes, is a senior official and French politician. He was Mayor of Versailles since 2008.
• Bertrand Barère, revolutionary, Deputy of the Third Estate in 1789, member of the Committee of Public safety during the terror, member of the French National Convention
• Gérard Trémège (fr), Mayor of Tarbes since 2001, member of the Radical Party, former President of the Chambers of commerce and industry (fr)
• Jean Glavany, Socialist member of Hautes-Pyrénées, President of Grand Tarbes until April 2008, former Secretary of State and Minister of Agriculture
• Charles Antoine de La Roche-Aymon (fr), Bishop of Tarbes (fr)
• Maurice Trélut (fr), "moderate" Mayor of Tarbes from 1935 to 1944, prisoner of war, he enlisted in the Resistance and died when deported
• Eugène Ténot (fr), former prefect and member of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Writers

• Maurice Audebert, philosopher, novelist and dramatist, born at Tarbes in 1921
• Charles Dantzig, writer and editor, Jean Freustié and Roger Nimier Prize in 2003, December prize and Elle in 2006.
• Isidore Ducasse, Comte de Lautréamont, born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1846 enrolled at Lycée Théophile Gautier, died in 1870
• Henri-Paul Eydoux (fr), writer born in Tarbes (1907-1986)
• Christian Laborde (fr), writer
• Véronique Poivre-d'Arvor French writer born in Tarbes on 23 April 1942
• Laurent Tailhade, writer, polemicist
• Christine de Rivoyre, born in Tarbes on 29 November 1921, is a journalist and French writer
• Théophile Gautier, writer born in Tarbes in 1811 died in 1872
• Jules Laforgue, born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1860, enrolled at Tarbes and died in 1887.

Musicians and singers

• Auguste-Maurice Cocagnac Dominican friar, painter and cartoonist, songwriter, writer and Traveler, born at Tarbes in 1924
• François Deguelt, singer, songwriter was born in Tarbes on 4 December 1932 and died on 22 January 2014
• Robert Kaddouch (fr), concert pianist and international teacher (creator of the k method), Tarbais since 1966
• David Fray, piano virtuoso, born 24 May 1981 in Tarbes.
• Henri Génès, actor and singer
• Yvette Horner (fr), musician, accordionist
• Victor Mirecki, cellist and music teacher, born 21 July 1847 in Tarbes and died 7 April 1921 in Madrid
• Cécile Ousset, born 1936, pianist
• Gilles Servat, singer and musician, born in Tarbes on 1 February 1945
• The famous trio of the Sangria gratuite (fr) group of festive music born in Tarbes in 1998
• Édouard Souberbielle, born in Tarbes in 1899, organist, choirmaster and teacher in Paris, died in 1986.
• Marianne Dissard, born 20 May 1969 in Tarbes, singer, songwriter and French filmmaker.
• DJ Neesty, born in Tarbes in 1960, composer arranger, remixing. He worked for various artists and music labels and two times for the Eurovision Song Contest.
• The Boulevard des airs (fr) group was born in the Lycée Marie Curie in Tarbes.
• Jean-Louis Blèze (fr), 1927-2012, French humourist, born in Sarrouilles but who was often in the Tarbes area before going to Paris.
• Vox Bigerri (fr), Tarbes vocal ensemble dedicated to polyphonic singing.
• ENZ, rapper, Parisian of adoption since 2003 was born in Tarbes in the 1980s.

Painters and sculptors

• Henri Borde (fr), painter, died at Tarbes in 1958;
• René Billotte (fr), artist painter, born in 1846 in Tarbes, died in Paris in 1915
• Jacqueline Dauriac (fr), artist, born in 1945 in Tarbes
• Firmin Michelet (fr), sculptor, born in Tarbes in 1875, died in 1951
• Jeane Saliceti (fr), artist, painter, born in 1883 in Tarbes, died in Tarbes in 1959

Filmmakers and actors

• Michel Dieuzaide, born in Tarbes in 1951, photographer and film director
• Christian Gion (fr), filmmaker, born in Tarbes in 1940
• Henri Génès, actor and singer
• Sandra Colombo (fr), comedian
• Marianne Dissard, singer and film-maker

Industrialists, traders and benefactors

• Placide Massey (fr), pharmacist and botanist, great benefactor of the city of Tarbes (1777-1853)
• André Emlinger (fr), military and business leader, originator of the Kennedy Centre (1909-2005)

Others

• Pierre Koffmann, chef

Tarbes in the arts, literature and media

• Jean Paulhan, Les Fleurs de Tarbes ou La Terreur dans les Lettres [The Flowers of Tarbes or Terror in the Letters] (1936, 1941)
• Maurice Utrillo, Tarbes or Winter street scene in Tarbes (1935)
• Unlike the historical D'Artagnan, from Gers, the character of D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas, comes from Tarbes.
• The city of Tarbes is mentioned in the manga The Familiar of Zero, Chapter 28, page 8. It is the city where the hero goes to find a former war machine.