THE CASTLE OF ETCHAUZ
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Château d'Etchaux, listed on the supplementary inventory of historic monuments, now owned by the Azrani family.
With its omnipresent past, you'll discover a square castle with four towers, reflecting the history of the family of the Viscounts of Baïgorri; history of Jean and Bertrand d'Etchauz; and this family of Viscounts reigned over the valley for five centuries. They distinguished themselves at the French court, and Bertrand d'Etchauz was appointed bishop of Bayonne in 1599, becoming Louis XIII's most trusted confidant. In the 18th century, the viscount's house passed into the hands of the Caupenne family, who maintained tense relations with the people of the valley. During the Revolution, the château was bought by the father of the future Marshal Harispe, who obtained authorization from Napoleon to create a light infantry regiment, the chasseurs basques. This was Baigorri's most famous child, buried in the village cemetery. It wasn't until 1850 that the château, listed in the Inventaire supplémentaire des Monuments historiques (Grand Prix National des Vieilles Maisons Françaises), was bought by the d'Abbadie d'Arrast family and later visited by Charlie Chaplin, for whom Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast was the scriptwriter. Château d'Etchautz has now entered the 21st century. It was renovated in 1995 after many difficult years, when it was repeatedly sold, looted, even ransacked and left to rot. Thanks to a Bayonnais couple who completely restored and refurnished it, it has been restored to its former splendor and is now open to visitors. It is now owned by the Azrani family, whose wife has roots in Erratzu, a nearby village.
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