Château de Sainte Marie

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The ruins of the château de Sainte-Marie dominate the adjacent municipalities of Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Esterre and Esquièze-Sère in the Hautes-Pyrénées of southern France.

The château de Sainte-Marie is on a prominent rocky outcrop at the confluence of the rivers Bastan and the Gave de Pau - controlling the three valleys. The castle may have origins in the 10th century, but its present form dates to the 14th century when it was occupied and rebuilt by the Knights Hospitaller. After 1360 the château and surrounding valleys were occupied by the English, but in 1404 the French regained possession.

The castle was listed as an historic monument in 1930. According to a plaque by the castle door, the ruins were sold to the municipality of Esterre for a ‘symbolic one euro’ by the ancestral owners in 2020.

The official listing by the French Ministry of Culture is here: https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00095392

Model created from 407 photographs taken on 10 July 2024.