Château de Saint-Béat, Saint-Béat, France

Château de Saint-Béat dates from the 12th century. It was enlarged by Henri IV (1553 – 1610). Rulers rarely lived in Saint-Béat; the castle was occupied by captains until the 16th century. In 1588, the Parlement of Toulouse passed a law that required the inhabitants of Melles, Argut and Arlos by turns to guard the castle, subject to a fine of 500 écus. The castle never had to repel invasions, though its strategic position close to the Spanish border led to it being described as 'la clef de France' (the key to France).

The castle was surrounded by two enceintes. The keep measures 5m square and had two storeys. The castle provides views over the village and the Garonne valley.

References:

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User Reviews

Maaike B (2 years ago)
We had a wonderful week with Yvette and her team. Extremely hospitable and service-oriented. Beautiful view from your own outdoor kitchen. Lots of help with booking activities (canyoning and canoe rafting) and also with booking a restaurant (l'Oberge d'Arlos - the largest and tastiest steak de boeuf ever). We were there with two other families so it is wonderfully small-scale. The chateau is definitely recommended with teenagers!

Karin Visscher (3 years ago)
What a great place this was, beautiful castle, stylishly decorated an atmospheric place to stay!! Yvette and Arné have a great B&B that was and is really worth a visit!! Their tremendous hospitality and warm welcome made us feel like home. Yvette and Arné, thank you for the great time we had with you and for the nice conversations we had with each other, not to mention the great tips Yvette for our outing in the area! In addition, we had a super delicious meal, you can really taste that Yvette has a passion for cooking. If we're ever in the area again, we'll definitely go back! Love Ab and Karin

Rokki Dakar18 (4 years ago)
Super

Cécile ARNOLD (4 years ago)
A very beautiful castle very well restored, a top welcome as well as the meals. It is also possible to cook outside, each room having its place with fridge, hotplate and crockery. The pool area is also very pleasant. The rooms are well renovated, the beds are good. For me, only one downside: we had a room facing the road with a lot of trucks and we did not have a window that opened in our bed nook.

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The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.

Château de Saint-Béat

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