Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the

Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/ Occitan: ''Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus'' awts piɾeˈnɛʊs es, Altos Pirineos; ca, Alts Pirineus alts piɾiˈneʊs English: Upper Pyrenees) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. ...

department in the Occitanie

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of southwestern France. It is the capital of

Bigorre Bigorre ({{IPA-fr, biɡɔʁ; Gascon: ''Bigòrra'') is a region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of th ...

and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. 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 Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part ...

. Formerly of strong industrial tradition, Tarbes today tries to diversify its activities, particularly in

aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identif ...

and high tech around the different zones of activities which are increasing. The recent development of and other regional specialties also shows a willingness to develop the agri-food industry thus justifying its nickname of "market town". Its 42,888 inhabitants are called ''Tarbaises'' and the ''Tarbais''. It is the seat of the

diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarbes et Lourdes ( Latin: ''Dioecesis Tarbiensis et Lourdensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Tarbes et Lourdes'') is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite diocese in France. Until 2002 Tarbes was a suffragan of the Archdioces ...

. The

1st Parachute Hussar Regiment The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes, 1er RHP) is an airborne cavalry unit in the French Army, founded in 1720 by Hungarian noble Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny. It is stationed in Tarbes and is a p ...

and

35th Parachute Artillery Regiment The 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (french: 35e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste, 35e RAP) is the only airborne artillery unit of the French Army forming the air artillery component of the 11th Parachute Brigade. It is based in Tarbes ...

are stationed in Tarbes.

Geography

Location

Tarbes is a Pre-Pyrenees town within the rich agricultural plain of the river

Adour The Adour (; eu, Aturri; oc, Ador) is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre (Pyrenees), in the commune of Aspin-Aure, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean ( Bay of Biscay) near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost ca. ...

, southwest of

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

, to the east of

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...

, southwest of

Auch Auch (; oc, label= Gascon, Aush ) is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Occitanie, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony. Geography Localization Hydrography The ...

and northeast of

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...

. Tarbes is 1 hr 30 mins from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, 2 hrs 50 mins from the Languedoc coast and 35 minutes from the nearest

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

s. It is located at an average elevation of . To the south of Tarbes, along with the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, is the border with Spain. The

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

mountains, lying along the border between France and Spain, can be seen from the town.

Hydrography

Tarbes is crossed to the east by the

river and to the west by the

Échez The Échez () is a left tributary of the Adour, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, in the Southwest of France. It is long. Geography The Échez rises in ''Sère-Lanso'' (east of Lourdes) and flows north along the Adour, which it joins in Maubourguet. ...

and by the Gespe, a tributary which joins the Échez on the territory of the commune.

Neighbouring communes

Climate

Tarbes features an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

: Cfb), with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall. Tarbes benefits from its privileged location in the area of the

, a milder microclimate than at Lourdes, from a higher altitude, and somewhat less rainy than in Pau, and sunnier. Summers are warm and often stormy, while spring is rainy and cool and autumn is mild and sunny. Winter, meanwhile, is less rigorous but can still hold some surprises. The lowest temperature was recorded in January 1985 with a temperature under shelter of . Conversely, there was a maximum temperature of in August 2003.

Toponymy

The name of the town was recorded in the 5th century as ''Civitas Turba ubi castrum Bigòrra'' (The town of Turba (possibly 'of the crowd') where the castle of Bigòrra is located). It was an important town in Novempopulania, one of the Roman provinces at that time. In the 6th century

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Floren ...

referred to it as ''Talvam vicum''. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

it was called ''Tarbé'' (1214), ''Tursa'', ''Tarvia'' (1284) and also ''Tarbia''. Not to be confused with the

Tarbelli The Tarbelli were an Aquitani tribe dwelling in the present-day regions of Labourd and Chalosse, in the west of Aquitania, during the Iron Age. Alongside the Auscii, they were one of the most powerful peoples of Aquitania. They were subjugate ...

, whose capital was Dax.

Legendary origin of the name

Legend holds that the Queen of

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

, Tarbis, proposed her love to

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...

and that he refused. Inconsolable, she decided to leave her throne and hide her disappointment. After many wanderings, she arrived in

and built her home on the

to found the town of Tarbes, and its sister, on the banks of the Gave de Pau, arose as

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

Aquitani The Aquitani were a tribe that lived in the region between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic ocean, and the Garonne, in present-day southwestern France in the 1st century BCE. The Romans dubbed this region '' Gallia Aquitania''. Classical authors such ...

ans travelled across the Pyrenean foothills. To continue their journey, they had to use a ford in order to cross the

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 Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

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 Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewis ...

church in the 4th century.

Middle Ages

In the 5th and 6th centuries, as a result of the

barbarian invasions The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...

which swept in successive waves, the city shrank around the

castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...

, of which a remnant remains in the rear courtyard of the prefecture. In about 840 AD, the

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

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

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 A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

, in 1569, the troops of

Jeanne d'Albret Jeanne d'Albret ( Basque: ''Joana Albretekoa''; Occitan: ''Joana de Labrit''; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. Jeanne was the daughter of Henry II of Navarre and Margar ...

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 The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula ( post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of consecrated women that branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula, in 1572. Like the Angelines, they ...

). 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

Prerogatives of a chef-lieu

From 1800, Tarbes became the

chef-lieu An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

and headquarters of a prefecture (an increase of its administrative role and its functions). In 1806,

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

re-established the and Tarbes gave birth to the Anglo-Arabian horse breed. In 1859, Tarbes was connected to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

by rail.

Legacy

In the 19th century, various legacies enrich the public spaces of Tarbes. In 1853, 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.

Industrial development

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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the Resistance was also part of the everyday life of the town of Tarbes, which was awarded the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

. 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 The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

(services). In addition to its privileged geographical situation, less than an hour from the

mountains, two hours from the

and three hours from the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

via the La Pyrénéenne autoroute, the city offers a certain lifestyle and boasts a cultural life which is packed with clubs and sport.

Heraldry

Economy

Being farther away from

than other cities of Occitanie, Tarbes may appear to display greater economic independence. Also it often occupies the second place in the regional urban hierarchy. It maintains close relations with

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by ...

and, in particular, with Pau, a nearby town of the Pre-Pyrenees.

Industry

Tarbes is the second industrial city of the region. this is particularly illustrated in the field of railway construction and aeronautics with the presence of nearby companies such as

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational corporation, multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the A ...

and Daher. Daher-Socata manufactures business and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or by using the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in ...

there, including the TBM 850 and TB 20. Its headquarters and its main industrial site are located on the outskirts of the Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in the canton of Ossun, south of Grand Tarbes, where its facilities are spread over , of which are covered surfaces. At the end of 2006, its strength stood at more than 1,050 people. Ossun, a neighbouring commune of the agglomeration, is also home to TARMAC, a company dedicated to the dismantling of aircraft for which it was necessary to construct an imposing building. The platform is, again, installed on the Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport area, and revolves around the three activities of storage, maintenance and deconstruction. Boostec, based in Bazet, collaborated with

EADS Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...

Astrium Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 1 ...

to build the

Herschel space telescope The Herschel Space Observatory was a space observatory built and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was active from 2009 to 2013, and was the largest infrared telescope ever launched until the launch of the James Webb Space Telesco ...

, launched on 14 May 2009.

Zones of activity

In addition to the Aerospace Valley involving DeciElec, Socata/Daher, Pearl and Tarmac, Tarbes is developing several business parks. *The Park of the Pyrenees, located in Ibos, is equipped to host craft, industrial activities, services and offices. *The Bastillac University Park is dedicated to technological research. The Park of the Adour, in Semeac, is for industrial, commercial and the tertiary sector. *Cognac Park, on the road to Pau, is devoted to the craft and the tertiary sector. *The Ecoparck of Bordères-sur-Echez is the subject of projects regarding energy production ( biogas plant project, produced from biomass), the cold-intensive businesses (Pyrenean curing and the planned cooling platform of Dominque Sallaberry Logistics).

University centre

Tarbes also houses the second University centre of the Midi-Pyrénées with a University Institute of technology (IUT) and National School of Engineers of Tarbes (ENIT) having more than 5,000 students.

Tourism

The

Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport (french: Aéroport Tarbes Lourdes Pyrénées; ) is an airport 9 km south-southwest of Tarbes in the Hautes-Pyrénées ''département'' of France. Operations It handles scheduled and charter flights fr ...

is still the second of the Midi-Pyrénées. Also in the town centre, the Rex Hotel, a designer hotel addressing a rather affluent clientele, and the arrival of brands such as H&M and new places of leisure (, etc.) seem to attest to the attractiveness of the town.

Agriculture

Often presented as a "market town", Tarbes is home to important halls and market squares, allowing opportunities for local agriculture. Symbol of the local food industry, a Cooperative of including emerged at the heart of the Bastillac zone.

Transport

Air

The small Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport is situated 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.

Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings famil ...

serves London Stansted, Dublin, Lisbon and Milan Bergamo, with two and three flights a week, respectively. Meridiana connects to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and finally

Air Nostrum Air Nostrum, legally incorporated as ''Air Nostrum Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A.'', is a Spanish regional airline based in Valencia. It currently operates as a franchisee of Iberia as Iberia Regional and an affiliate member of the On ...

(Iberia Regional) offers two flights per week to Madrid Barajas. The airport also offers seasonal charter flights to and from the largest European cities.

Rail

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

Road

Tarbes is also served by the A64 allowing in the direction of Toulouse, to drive freely to

Lannemezan Lannemezan (; Gascon Occitan ''Lanamesa'', "heath of the middle") is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department and the Occitanie region in south-western France. The inhabitants are called Lannemezanais. Lannemezan is the largest city ...

Capvern Capvern (; Gascon: ''Capvèrn'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. Capvern station has rail connections to Toulouse, Tarbes and Pau. See also * Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department An intent ...

, and towards

and joining Pau, which is also accessible from the .

Public transport

The communes of 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.

Politics and administration

Tarbes is the capital of the

department and concentrates various utilities including the court of grand instance, a branch of the

Bank of France The Bank of France (French: ''Banque de France''), headquartered in Paris, is the central bank of France. Founded in 1800, it began as a private institution for managing state debts and issuing notes. It is responsible for the accounts of the ...

, the Chamber of Commerce and local industry, the Chamber of skilled crafts, crafts and Services. In 2011, the municipality of Tarbes was rewarded with the

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...

" @@@@".

Political trends and results

The municipal history of Tarbes under the Fifth Republic was marked by several waves. In the elections of 1959, the outgoing Socialist mayor, Marcel Billières, was a victim of the resilience of the Communist Party but especially also the shift to the right, which managed to seize the city hall with the election of Paul Boyrie. He was comfortably re-elected in 1965 (58.4%) and 1971 (55.2%). However, his sudden death a few weeks before the 1977 elections caused confusion in the ranks of the outgoing majority. In this election, the Communist prevailed in the first round (50.6%), at the head of a list of union of the left. He was reelected in 1983 with 54.8% against Jean Journé (UDF-RPR), but took ill with a heart attack during the count. Raymond Erracarret (FCP) was elected mayor by the municipal council. The new councillor regained his chair in 1989 with 54.1% against Jean Journé (UDF-RPR), then with a reduced majority (51.3%) in 1995, against Gérard Trémège (UDF-RPR). 2001 then marked a brand new change: Gérard Trémège, after a merger of the lists of DL-UDF and RPR, became mayor with 50.1% of the vote (26 votes in advance). He was re-elected on 17 March 2008 under the UMP- Radical Party label "Valoisien" this time with 54.3% (1,705 votes ahead of

Jean Glavany Jean Glavany (born 14 May 1949 in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine) is a French politician, member of the Socialist Party (PS) and former Minister. From 1981 to 1988, he was head of cabinet of President François Mitterrand (PS). He was then Minister ...

) and again on 23 March 2014, this time in the first round with 52.95% of the votes.

List of mayors

Cantons

Since the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015, the city of Tarbes is subdivided into 3 cantons:

Intercommunality

Since January 2017 Tarbes is part of the

Communauté d'agglomération Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées The Communauté d'agglomération Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées is an intercommunal structure in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the Occitanie region, southern France. It was created in January 2017. Its seat is in Juillan.< ...

. This was created by the merger of the ''

Communauté d'agglomération An agglomeration community (french: communauté d'agglomération) is a government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of intercommunality, less integrated than a métropole or a communauté u ...

du Grand Tarbes'' with 6 neighbouring '' Communautés de communes''. ''Grand Tarbes'' had been created in December 1995 from the former ''Communauté de communes de l'agglomération tarbaise''. The ''Communauté d'agglomération'' has competences related to transportation, travellers, culture, sports, environment, the university and the city's policy. It now includes 86 municipalities and has some 123,000 inhabitants (2014 legal population, INSEE).

Schools

*Public kindergartens *Private kindergartens *Public primary schools *Private primary schools *Public colleges *Private colleges *Public secondary schools *Private secondary schools

Higher academic institutions

* École nationale d'ingénieurs de Tarbes * National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse *

Paul Sabatier University Paul Sabatier University (''Université Paul Sabatier'', UPS, also known as Toulouse III) is a French public university, in the Academy of Toulouse. It is one of the several successor universities of the University of Toulouse. Toulouse III was ...

* University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour * Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres (part of

University of Toulouse II – Le Mirail A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

) * École supérieure d'art des Pyrénées – Pau Tarbes

Health

The city has also a medical centre spread over three sites that make up the Intercommunal Hospital Centre of Tarbes – Vic-en-Bigorre (CHIC-TV). On 6 June 2003, the institution changed its name and became the Hospital Centre of Bigorre (CHB): A short stay site ("La Gespe" in Tarbes) and two geriatric sites ("L'Ayguerote" in Tarbes and Vic en Bigorre); in 2016 the new hospital of Tarbes and Lourdes will be in Lanne, opposite the airport. The Ormeau Polyclinic in collaboration with the Pyrenees-Bigorre Clinic is the second centre of health in Tarbes. Every year in October, are organised the Pyrenean Days of Gynecology, of worldwide recognition.

Demography

The population of the commune of Tarbes as of 1 January 2017 is 41,518 inhabitants, thus placing the commune as 12th of the Occitanie region.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017
INSEE In 2017, the Communauté d'agglomération de Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées (86 communes, 123,588 inhabitants) was created which, regionally, ranks 8th in population. The urban unit ('' unité urbaine'') has 78,594 inhabitants. It includes the more urbanised communes and those nearest to Tarbes, notably the communes of Aureilhan (7,745 inhabitants), Bordères-sur-l'Échez (5,227 inhabitants), Séméac (4,926 inhabitants) and Barbazan-Debat (3,463 inhabitants). The urban area (''

aire d'attraction d'une ville An ''aire d'attraction d'une ville'' (or AAV, literally meaning "catchment area of a city") is a statistical area used by France's national statistics office INSEE since 2020, officially translated as functional area in English by INSEE, which ...

'') has 135,654 inhabitants (2018), and is the ninth of Occitanie behind Toulouse, Montpellier, Perpignan, Nîmes, Béziers, Narbonne, Montauban and Albi. The following table shows the 15 communes of the urban unit of Tarbes, all of which are also members of the Communauté d'agglomération de Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées.

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 A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tow ...

and faces the ''Place Jean-Jaurès'' enthroned with a statue of

Danton Georges Jacques Danton (; 26 October 1759 – 5 April 1794) was a French lawyer and a leading figure in the French Revolution. He became a deputy to the Paris Commune, presided in the Cordeliers district, and visited the Jacobin club. In August ...

. 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 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 Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

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. Félicité 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 A market hall is a covered space or a building where food and other articles are sold from stalls by independent vendors. A market hall is a type of indoor market and is especially common in many European countries. A food hall, the most usu ...

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"'' ource 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'' reat Fountainforms a playful bell of water. It is assisted in the north by the ''Droits de l'Enfant'' ights of the Childfountain, 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'' ountain of the Floodwhich 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. Fontaine de l'Alhambra Tarbes

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''. Place de Verdun, Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

Place de Verdun, Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

Military heritage

The is composed of an 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

, 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, 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. 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

Industrial remains

The former site of the Arsenal has been renovated to accommodate shops, places of leisure (cinema, a second

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

facility,

laser quest Laser Quest is a British indoor laser tag franchise founded in Manchester, United Kingdom in 1989. Its laser tag games use infrared (IR) hand-held units and vests. Laser Quest's oldest centre is located in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England ...

, 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. File:Le bâtiment 100, Maison des Associations (Arsenal, Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France).JPG, Arsenal building 100 became the Maison des Associations File:Bâtiment 119, complexe cinématographique (Arsenal, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tarbes).jpg, Building 119 became a cinema complex File:Bâtiment 103, archives municipales (Arsenal, Tarbes, France).JPG, Building 103 became the municipal archives File:Pont roulant du bâtiment 117 devenu complexe de loisirs (Arsenal, Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France).JPG, 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 . The factory buildings, abundantly decorated with glazed bricks, were protected as an Historic Monument in 1994. File:Usine_de_c%C3%A9ramique_Oustau_(Aureilhan,_65).JPG, The Oustau ceramic factory in Aureilhan

Religious buildings

Cathedral, churches and mosque

Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède de Tarbes

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 A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

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 . One can still see the ceiling painted by and the carved in the oratory. Saint

Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. Afte ...

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 ''Gothique méridional'' 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 The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

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 , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount C ...

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 an organ, Baroque statues and several 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 ur Lady Source of Lifeis decorated with murals. In 2005, the first stone of the

Omar Ibn al-Khattab ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...

Mosque was laid. File:Église Saint-Anne de Tarbes.JPG, The Church of Saint-Anne File:Église Sainte-Thérèse de Tarbes.JPG, The Church of Sainte-Thérèse

Chapels

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 during the Baroque period. The Jeanne d'Arc institution includes a chapel with decor of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

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

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

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,

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 Laurent Tailhade (; 1854–1919) was a French satirical poet, anarchist polemicist, essayist, and translator, active in Paris in the 1890s and early 1900s. Works *''Au pays du mufle'' 1891. *''Poèmes élégiaques'' Vitraux. Vanier, 1891. *''A ...

. English Imperial style or even 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 Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. I ...

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

, 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 Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

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 , the , an

orangerie An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very lar ...

, 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 Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

. The

Park, a recent green space, is attempting to unite the university quarters of Bastillac and Solazur. Within the Laubadère quarter, Bois Blancs hite WoodsPark 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 landscaped walking space.

Culture

Museums and exhibition spaces

The is best known for hosting the International Museum of the

Hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

s. 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 housed in a former

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

convent dating from 1870. File:Carmel de Tarbes (Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France).JPG, Carmel de Tarbes File:Carmel de Tarbes (65).JPG, Carmel de Tarbes File:Musée Massey (Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France).JPG, 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 carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping a ...

, a

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adj ...

'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:

Local media

Newspapers

The group of ''

La Dépêche du Midi ''La Dépêche'', formally ''La Dépêche du Midi'', is a regional daily newspaper published in Toulouse in Southwestern France with seventeen editions for different areas of the Midi-Pyrénées region. The main local editions are for Toulouse, ...

'' has a local daily edition as well as a comparable second edition branded as the ''

La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées ''La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées'' ("Pyrenees French New Republic") is a daily newspaper published by Groupe La Dépêche and circulated in the French Department of Hautes-Pyrénées. It was founded in 1944 after the Liberation of Franc ...

'' (the latter does not appear on Sunday unlike the first which is published every day). The Group publishes the weekly ''La semaine des Pyrénées''. A version of the weekly ''Le Petit Journal'' is also available in the department.

Radio

FM channels include several local radio stations with their premises in the urban area: ''Pic FM'', ', ''Atomic'', etc. Other radio stations in the region broadcast local information bulletins such as '' 100% Radio''. Some national radio stations still have studios in the city such as '' Fun Radio'' and ''

NRJ NRJ (NRJ is an acronym read as Nouvelle Radio Jeune, or ''énergie'' in French, pronounced , literally "energy") is a private French radio station created by Jean-Paul Baudecroux and Max Guazzini in June 1981, and was widely popularized th ...

''.

Internet

Several

web portal A web portal is a specially designed website that brings information from diverse sources, like emails, online forums and search engines, together in a uniform way. Usually, each information source gets its dedicated area on the page for displayi ...

s of local influence are based in Tarbes, such a
Bigorre.org
There are still several information websites (

webzines An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer maga ...

), sometimes having their own

web TV Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air ae ...

broadcasts such a
Tarbesinfo.fr

Gastronomy

*The *

Madiran wine Madiran wine is produced around the village of Madiran in Gascony under three '' Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées'' (AOCs): Madiran for red wines and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec for white wines. The production area fo ...

*The black pork of Bigorre * Gâteau à la broche *Barèges mutton

Military life

Béret rouge du 1er régiment de hussards parachutistes

Insigne régimentaire du 1er régiment de hussards parachutistes

*Military units currently stationed in Tarbes: :*

, since 1953. :*

, since 1947. *Military units which have been stationed in Tarbes: :*, 1871–1907 :* 14th Field Artillery Regiment, before 1906–1914 :*, 1906 :*24th Divisional Artillery Regiment, 1939–1940 :* 5th Hussar Regiment, 1838–1839 :* 9th Hussar Regiment, 1851–1856 :*

, 1858 :*, 1859–1861 :*, 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

Sport

Clubs

*Women's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

: Tarbes Gespe Bigorre, the main sporting team of the town, which participates in the LFB () elite and European competitions since 1993 ( FIBA EuroLeague Women, FIBA EuroCup Women, and winner of the

Ronchetti Cup The Ronchetti Cup (called till 1996 ''European Cup Liliana Ronchetti'') was an annual women’s basketball European club competition held by FIBA between the years 1972 and 2002. It was the second competition in European basketball, after the Eur ...

in 1996) *

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

: Tarbes Pyrenees in

Pro D2 Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was i ...

. *

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

Tarbes Pyrénées Football Tarbes Pyrénées Football is a club football based in Tarbes, France. They formed in 2006 with the merger of ''Tarbes Stado Foot'' and ''Tarbes Gespe''. Club information The club colours are red and violet which represent the main colours of th ...

, playing in the CFA (4th division) *

Fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

: , 11-time champions France with the sabre team (last in 2008). *

Canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

Kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word '' qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each s ...

Facilities

* * Maurice Trélut Stadium

Events

2006 Tour de France stage held in Tarbes with a large turn out

*During the 20th century, Tarbes was on the route of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 ...

, 1987, 1993 and

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

. *Stage 14 of the 2001 Tour de France departed from Tarbes. *Stage 11 of the

2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between the 1st and the 23rd of July. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of Floyd Landis. Due to the United ...

departed from Tarbes. *Stage 9 of the

2009 Tour de France The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco. The race visit ...

finished in Tarbes. The stage winner was

Pierrick Fédrigo Pierrick Fédrigo (born 30 November 1978) is a French former racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2016 for the , , and teams. He was the winner of the French National Road Race Championships in 2005, and won four stages at t ...

, with

Rinaldo Nocentini Rinaldo Nocentini (born 25 September 1977) is an Italian former professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 1999 and 2019 for the , , Formaggi Pinzolo Fiavé, , and teams. In the 2009 Tour de France, his first participatio ...

being the holder of the yellow jersey after the stage finish. *The

2015 Tour de France The 2015 Tour de France was the 102nd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The -long race consisted of 21 stages, starting on 4 July in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and concluding on 26 July with the Champs-Élysées stag ...

is scheduled to have Tarbes as the departure point for Stage 10, heading to the

Col de la Pierre St Martin Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin (elevation ) is a mountain pass on the France-Spain border in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France) and Navarra (province), Navarra (Spain). The climb from the Spanish side was us ...

, on 14 July. *The Tarbes-based

Petits As Les Petits As (English: ''Little champions'') is a junior tennis tournament for players aged 12–14, held in Tarbes, France. The event has seen a number of its champions go on to become slam winners, including Rafael Nadal, Michael Chang, Ma ...

Tournament is a major international tennis competition for 12- to 14-year-old juniors.

Notable people

Political figures

* Bertrand Barère (1755–1841),

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

, Deputy of the Third Estate in 1789. * Antoine de Castelnau (died 1539),

Bishop of Tarbes The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarbes et Lourdes ( Latin: ''Dioecesis Tarbiensis et Lourdensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Tarbes et Lourdes'') is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite diocese in France. Until 2002 Tarbes was a suffragan of the Archdioces ...

and a French diplomat * Gabriel Deville (1854–1940), socialist theoretician, politician and diplomat. *

(born 1949), Minister of Agriculture, 1998/2000 & President of Grand Tarbes, 2001/2008 *

François de Mazières François de Mazières (born 22 May 1960) is a French politician. He served as a member of the National Assembly, representing Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2 ...

(born 1960) politician, Mayor of

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

since 2008. *

Charles Antoine de La Roche-Aymon Charles Antoine, Count of La Roche-Aymon, born at Mainsat (Marche) on 17 February 1697 and died in Paris on 27 October 1777, was a French prelate, cardinal and grand aumônier de France. La Roche-Aymon was born in the diocese of Limoges in 1696, ...

(1697-1777), prelate, cardinal and

Grand Almoner An almoner (} ' (alms), via the popular Latin '. History Christians have historically been encouraged to donate one-tenth of their income as a tithe to their church and additional offerings as needed for the poor. The first deacons, mentioned ...

. * (1839-1890), former prefect and member of the Hautes-Pyrénées. * (1881-1944), Mayor of Tarbes 1935/1944, prisoner of war * (born 1944), Mayor of Tarbes since 2001, member of the Radical Party

Sportspeople

Frank Adisson Frank Adisson (born 24 July 1969, in Tarbes) is a French slalom canoeist. He competed from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, in three Summer Olympics. He won two medals in the C2 event with a gold medal in 1996 and a bronze medal in 1992. Fra ...

(born 1969), slalom canoeist, gold medallist at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* William Ayache (born 1960) footballer with 237 club caps and 20 for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Olivier Azam Olivier Azam (born 21 October 1974 in Tarbes) is a retired French rugby union footballer. A hooker who could also cover prop, Azam spent most of his professional playing career in the English Premiership at Gloucester Rugby. Azam also had 10 ca ...

(born 1974), former Rugby Union player with 10 caps for

* (born 1952), former footballer with 222 club caps. * Edmond Baraffe (1942–2020), former

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...

with over 150 club caps and 3 for

Lionel Beauxis Lionel Beauxis () (born 24 October 1985) is a former French rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th cent ...

(born 1985), rugby player with 23 caps for

* Xavier Bécas (born 1979), football player with over 200 club caps * Philippe Bérot (born 1965), former Rugby player with 19 caps for

, now coaches

Italy national rugby union team The Italy national rugby union team (Italian: ''Squadra nazionale italiana di rugby'') represents Italy in men's international rugby union. The team is known as ''gli Azzurri'' (the light-blues). Savoy blue is the common colour of the national ...

. * Christian Carrère (born 1943), former rugby union player with 28 caps for

. * Mathieu Crépel (born 1984), French snowboarder * Philippe Delrieu (born 1959) a former fencer, silver medallist at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

* Philippe Dintrans (born 1957), Rugby hooker, captain of

with 51 caps. *

Céline Dumerc Céline Dumerc (born 9 July 1982) is a French professional basketball player. She was named the FIBA Europe Women's Player of the Year in 2012, and the French Player of the Year in 2017. National team career Dumerc is the captain of the senior w ...

(born 1982),

player, captain of the team France * Sandra Forgues (born 1969), double Slalom canoe Olympic Champion in Atlanta in 1996, and bronze four years earlier in the

Barcelona Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

; a

trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...

* Aubin Hueber (born 1967), former Rugby player with 21 caps for

Julien Laharrague Julien Laharrague (born 29 July 1978 in Tarbes, France) is a French rugby union footballer, usually playing on the wing or at fullback. He currently plays for Aironi in the Pro12 . Laharrague has also played for France. Laharrague's first c ...

(born 1978) Rugby Union player with 12 caps for

* Nicolas Laharrague (born 1981) a rugby union footballer with 2 caps for

* Bernard Lapasset (born 1947) rugby administrator, Chairman of the

World Rugby World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...

2008/2016. * Wenceslas Lauret (born 1987), rugby player with 27 caps for

* Nicolas Lopez (born 1980), sabre fencer, gold medallist at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

. *

Georges Roes Georges Roes (3 March 1889 – 14 May 1945) was a French sport shooter. He was born in Tarbes. He won silver medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics and at the 1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 19 ...

(1889–1945), sport shooter, silver medals at

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The o ...

* Jean-Luc Sassus (1962–2015), footballer with 493 club caps and 1 for

. *

Gabriel Sempé Gabriel Sempé (2 April 1901 – 24 February 1990) was a French athlete. He competed in the 110 m hurdles at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the I ...

(1901–1990), hurdler at the

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hold ...

and

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated fro ...

, scholar and collector of fine art * Adrien Théaux (born 1984), alpine skier, competed at 3 x Winter Olympics *

Gaël Touya Gaël Touya (born 23 October 1973) is a French fencer. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( e ...

(born 1973) &

Damien Touya Damien Touya (born 23 April 1975) is a French fencer. He won medals at three Olympics. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, in the team sabre, together with Julien Pillet and his brother Gaël Touya Gaël Touya (born 23 ...

(born 1975) &

Anne-Lise Touya Anne-Lise Touya (born 19 January 1981) is a French fencer. She competed in the sabre events at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), ...

(born 1981) a family of French fencers; won several medals in sabre teams at several Summer Olympics.

Writers

* Maurice Audebert (1923-2012), philosopher, novelist and dramatist * Charles Dantzig (born 1961), writer and editor, won the Prix Jean Freustié and

Prix Roger Nimier The Roger Nimier Prize () is a French literature award. It is supposed to go to "a young author whose spirit is in line with the literary works of Roger Nimier". Nimier (1925–1962) was a novelist and a leading member of the Hussards movement. The ...

in 2003 * (1907–1986), writer *

(1811–1872), poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist and art and literary critic. * (born 1955), writer * Jules Laforgue (1860–1887), Franco-Uruguayan Symbolist poet, enrolled in Tarbes in 1887. *

Comte de Lautréamont Comte de Lautréamont () was the ''nom de plume'' of Isidore Lucien Ducasse (4 April 1846 – 24 November 1870), a French poet born in Uruguay. His only works, '' Les Chants de Maldoror'' and ''Poésies'', had a major influence on modern art ...

(1846–1870), poet, enrolled at Lycée Théophile Gautier in 1859 * Christine de Rivoyre (1921–2019), a journalist and writer. *

(1854–1919), satirical poet, anarchist and polemicist, Tarbes Foch

Military

* Joseph Hyacinthe Louis Jules d'Ariès (1813–1878), naval officer & Govenor of

Cochinchina Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; vi, Đàng Trong (17th century - 18th century, Việt Nam (1802-1831), Đại Nam (1831-1862), Nam Kỳ (1862-1945); km, កូសាំងស៊ីន, Kosăngsin; french: Cochinchine; ) is a historical exon ...

* Pierre Emmanuel Félix Chazal (1808–1882), Belgian general (naturalised in 1844) * (1747-??), general of division of Napoleon I, from a noble family *

Ferdinand Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and Ar ...

(1851–1929)

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

(1918), commander-in-chief of Allied forces in WWI * Jean Pinet (born 1929), aviator and aeronautical engineer; first to fly

Concorde The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France an ...

supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...

Tour de France , Mette Horner, Bestanddeelnr 911-3760

Musicians, singers & actors

* (1927–2012), French humourist, born in Sarrouilles but frequented Tarbes. * Boulevard des airs (formed in 2004), French pop/rock group formed in the Lycée Marie Curie * Auguste-Maurice Cocagnac (1924–2006), Dominican friar, painter, cartoonist and songwriter * (born 1977), comedian * François Deguelt (1932–2014), singer songwriter * Marianne Dissard (born 1969), singer, lyricist, author and filmmaker * David Fray (born 1981), classical virtuoso pianist. *

Henri Génès Henri Génès (2 July 1919 – 22 August 2005) was a French singer and actor who appeared in such films as ''The Sucker'', ''La Grande Vadrouille'', '' The Brain'', ''The Counterfeit Constable'', and '' The Little Bather''. He was born in Tarbes ...

(1919–2005), a singer and actor * Agnès Gayraud (born 1979), philosopher, journalist, singer-songwriter, stage name ''La Féline'' * Yvette Horner (1922–2018), accordionist, pianist and composer * (born 1958), concert pianist and international teacher * Christophe Lacassagne (born 1964), contemporary baritone. * Víctor Mirecki Larramat (1847–1921), cellist and music teacher * Fano Messan (1902–1998), actress, sculptor, painter; known for her

androgyny Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in ...

* Cécile Ousset (born 1936), a French pianist. * (formed 1998) trio of festive musicians * Gilles Servat (born 1945), singer and musician * Édouard Souberbielle (1899–1986), organist,

Kapellmeister (, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...

and music educator.

Painters and sculptors

* (1888-1958), painter * (1846-1915), artist and painter * (born 1945), artist * (1875-1951), sculptor * (1883-1959), artist and painter

Business

* (1909–2005), military and business leader, originator of the Kennedy Centre * Pierre Koffmann (born 1948), chef * (1777–1853), pharmacist and botanist, benefactor of Tarbes

Tarbes in the arts, literature and media

Jean Paulhan Jean Paulhan (2 December 1884 – 9 October 1968) was a French writer, literary critic and publisher, director of the literary magazine ''Nouvelle Revue Française'' (NRF) from 1925 to 1940 and from 1946 to 1968. He was a member (Seat 6, 1963–68 ...

, ''Les Fleurs de Tarbes ou La Terreur dans les Lettres'' he Flowers of Tarbes or Terror in the Letters(1936, 1941) *

Maurice Utrillo Maurice Utrillo (), born Maurice Valadon; 26 December 1883 – 5 November 1955), was a French painter of the School of Paris who specialized in cityscapes. Born in the Montmartre quarter of Paris, France, Utrillo is one of the few famous pain ...

, ''Tarbes or Winter street scene in Tarbes'' (1935) *Unlike the historical

D'Artagnan Charles de Batz de Castelmore (), also known as d'Artagnan and later Count d'Artagnan ( 1611 – 25 June 1673), was a French Musketeer who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died at the siege of Maastricht in the ...

, from

Gers Gers (; oc, Gers or , ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southwestern France. Named after the Gers River, its inhabitants are called the ''Gersois'' and ''Gersoises'' in French. In 2019, it had a population of 191,377.

, the character of D'Artagnan in ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'', by

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

, 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. *La Féline's 2022 album, ''Tarbes''. La Féline's singer and songwriter, Agnes Gyraud, is a native of Tarbes.

International relations

Tarbes is twinned with: * Huesca, Spain, from 7 May 1964 * Altenkirchen, Germany, from 24 June 1972 File:Escudo de Huesca.svg, Blason of Huesca File:DEU Altenkirchen (Westerwald) COA.svg, Blason of Altenkirchen

References

External links

Tourism office website
(in French) * {{Authority control Communes of Hautes-Pyrénées Prefectures in France