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What is Albret?
History and Heritage What is Albret?
Irrigated by the blue gold of the Baïse and Garonne rivers, enriched by the red gold of the Buzet vineyards, and enlivened by the green gold of pine trees and orchards, the land of Henri IV and the Albret family is a destination full of charm and splendor. Follow the guide!
If Gascony were a jewel, Albret would be its precious stone. Every landscape, every stone sparkles with reflections of a rich and fascinating history. The courage of the Sotiates, the last true Gallic rebels, the dark hours of the Wars of Religion, and the mark left by the good King Henry IV have, over time, forged this mysterious jewel with colors that are sometimes terrible and bloody, sometimes comical or romantic, known as the heart of Albret. The people of Albret, conscious and in love with their history, have preserved this extraordinary heritage. Their unique verve will transport you to the frontiers of a history where legends and reality meet.
Exploring Albret means setting off on an adventure and traveling back in time to discover its treasures!
A family history
Once upon a time, long ago, there was a family from the Landes region who had their castle in the modest village of Labrit: the lords of Albret.
Yes, Nérac was not always the capital of Albret, and above all, Albret was not always ruled by the Albret family. Are you still with me? No? Let's summarize!
Before 1130, the Albret family had no connection with Nérac... how sad! In fact, it was the monks of Saint-Pierre Abbey in Condom who had owned the town and seigneury of Nérac since 1088! So how did the Albret family come to abandon their lands in Labrit and arrive in Nérac?
Thanks to those same monks, who sought out Amanieu II d'Albret and appointed him protector of the lands of Nérac in 1130-1143.
The monks ruled Nérac for two centuries, but faced with the rise of the Albret family, the poor monks were forced to cede their rights and lands in Nérac to Amanieu VI, the first Albret lord of Nérac, in 1306. At last!
The Albret and Nérac families were now linked, and this love story would last for centuries! They made Nérac their capital and even gave their name to our lands, the Pays d'Albret, which was elevated to a duchy by King Henry II of France in 1556.
This small family of modest origins ascended to the throne of Navarre in 1484 through marriage to the heiress of that kingdom, Catherine de Foix. For a century, their rise was meteoric, reaching its peak when the local idol, a prince named Henri de Navarre, ascended to the throne of France through a game of succession...Henri IV, of course!
A territorial unit
Albret is also a region with a mosaic of landscapes! To the west, it is bordered by the sand dunes of Landes, Europe's largest forest; to the north by the Garonne valley, France's orchard; to the east by clay-limestone hillsides and vineyards; and finally to the south by valleys and rivers that crisscross the region.
This diversity of landscapes is brought together by the Baïse and Gélise valleys, which bind Albret together from the south and converge near the Moulin des Tours de Barbaste, a mill dear to the heart of Henry IV.
Today, Albret can be summed up in a few figures: 33 municipalities, nearly 27,000 inhabitants, and an area of769 km², making it the largest entity in Lot-et-Garonne.
Identity & traditions
But today, Albret is above all an identity and Gascon values. Its inhabitants, who live in a land of abundance, the gourmet terroir of the Southwest and its gastronomic culture, are recognized as bon vivants! They have a particular fondness for the pleasures of the table, which are an integral part of their social life: meals with friends, summer night markets and food fairs, impromptu aperitifs, where regional products, especially local wines and duck products, are favored and foster a spirit of conviviality during festive gatherings.
The people of Gascony have stereotypes that stick to them like glue! Often described as liars, quarrelsome, lewd, dishonest, and even smooth talkers, they are above all proud of their region, a land of history and traditions, and their preserved heritage.
Albret has stood the test of time, steeped in history yet never losing sight of modernity. Its heritage, customs, and quality of life: this authentically Gascon land of sharing is sure to charm you!
