Saint-Christaud
Once part of the county of Pardiac, now part of the county of Astarac, Saint Christaud, with its landscape of valleys and hillsides overlooking the Pyrenees, lies at the crossroads of two highly historic ancient routes:
- The "Route de César", a prehistoric ridge road later consolidated by the Romans, once linked Bordeaux to the central Pyrenees without the need for bridges or fords.
- The "Chemin d'Arles", one of the four major pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela (which meet up in Gascony), passes through the commune.
These routes, which lead to one of the three great pilgrimages of Christianity, have been declared "First Cultural Itinerary" by the Council of Europe.
At the entrance to the village, an old ogival gateway marks the site of the former château of the lords of Saint Christaud, which was replaced by the present château in the 19th century.
In 1851, the republicans of Saint Christaud were heavily involved in the resistance to Napoleon III's coup d'état, which swept through the department (and especially the Mirande arrondissement) and was severely repressed.
Things to see in the commune
- The listed church and its cemetery.
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