Marie Keeper of the keys of Lescar

A tourist advisor at the Pau Pyrenees Tourist Office and in charge of reception at the Lescar office for almost twenty years, Marie is much more than a heritage expert: she’s its living memory. Between the centuries-old stones and the whispers of history, she opens doors, literally and figuratively, and warmly shares the soul of a timeless medieval town. Meet the woman who makes the stones speak…

Marie

Passionnée de vielles pierres et des beautés de l'histoire, je prends toujours plaisir à vous recevoir dans la cité médiévale de Lescar où j'aime prendre le temps de vous faire découvrir tous les secrets cachés de ma cité !

A meeting that changes everything

You’re bound to come across her with a bunch of keys in her hand, a smile on her face and a luminous passion in her eyes. She’s the one who opens doors, literally and symbolically.

Come in, come in, This is our heritage... but it's also part of your history!

Her voice resonates between the stones with a warmth that feels good. She tells you about Lescar just as you pass on an inheritance: with pride, humour and that typically Béarn soul. Marie has a thousand stories to tell. From the cathedral to the parts, she knows it all, or almost.

The little treasures she cherishes
She loves the details that you don’t see at first glance. The stone steps that disappear beneath the flowers, the walled doorways forgotten by the hurried walker, or the cymbals, tiny pale wild flowers that invite themselves onto the pebble walls. She guides you to the foot of the Pont Louis, where the Ruisseau Lescourre unfurls an unexpected patch of coolness…

“That’s where I like to sit, in the grass, listen to the water, feel the stone still warm from the morning sun”

When spring returns...

It’s to the medieval garden that Marie turns.

This place is an open book on the Middle Ages. Each plant tells a story, from remedies to beliefs and forgotten knowledge.

Anecdotes and digs...

One of her most precious memories is the day when two figures of knowledge – a dean of the Sorbonne and a researcher from the CNRS – walked through the door of the office.
Marie, intimidated, didn’t think she was legitimate. But they, humble and curious, urged her to make the visit.
The result: four hours of shared passion, dense and joyful exchanges, and a delightful complicity.

“They offered me more than knowledge: references, incredible works. It was an unforgettable encounter.“

When history comes alive!

Another highlight was the investigation carried out alongside a Spanish historian who had come to track down the marks made by the craftsmen. Engraved symbols, minute clues, a crucial signature was missing. Marie, a memory detective, took the keys to the cathedral on her own, climbed the spiral staircase and inspected every stone. And on the very last step… the symbol. A finale worthy of a film!

And what about this discreetly elegant old man, who has come to search for fragments of his past? Born of a hidden love, he wanted to understand where he came from. Marie investigated. And although his family didn’t want to meet him, every year she offers him memories. She has become his living memory, his only link with a long-suppressed history.

A visceral passion Discreetly

Marie is also a little site mouse.
At every dig in Lescar, she’s there. Discreet, attentive, filled with wonder.

Sarcophagi, crockery, forgotten walls: for her, each discovery is a window into yesterday.

“I’m incredibly lucky to be able to ask archaeologists a thousand questions. It’s as if history is whispering its secrets to me.”

Backstage at the cathedral through the eyes of Marie

When Marie takes you on a tour of the cathedral, don’t expect a history lesson. She leaves the official dates to better embark you on the little stories; the ones you catch between two stones, the ones no one reads in books.

She tells you about the “arms of light”, those funny wall lights in the shape of coloured wooden arms, popping out of the wall like something out of an old medieval horror film. It’s a detail that fascinates her. Just like these torture capitals, carved to frighten the naïve worshippers of the Middle Ages.

Here, every nook and cranny seems to conceal a secret – and Marie loves unearthing them. With her, the cathedral becomes a theatre of mysteries, a sensitive walk behind the scenes of faith and humanity.

©Monsters Monkey marquee|Pau Pyrénées Tourisme | MP

©Chapiteau Monstres Homme Rotated|Pau Pyrénées Tourisme | MP

Gourmet delights in the city

It’s impossible to end a walk without tasting the “Pommier“. A simple name for a delight full of contrasts: Melting compote, vanilla mousse, crunchy caramel. Marie’s favourite dessert.