Mauléon in 30 seconds
Around 3,000 inhabitants (2,975 in 2022), capital of the province of Soule (Zuberoa). The Saison river flows through the municipality from south to north, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department.
A little history to set the scene
Mid-12th century: the name Mauléon appears in the cartulary of Bayonne.
1261: Mauléon becomes a bastide (a planned fortified town) after a show of force by Prince Edward (the future Edward I of England). Soule, then a viscountcy, is caught up in the long wars between England and France before being annexed to the Kingdom of France.
1385: mention of lo noguer de Lixarre, the walnut tree under which a judicial assembly was held, and which gave Licharre its name.
19 March 1841: a royal ordinance merges Mauléon and Licharre.
1881: thanks to the hydroelectric plants built on the Saison, Mauléon becomes, according to the tourist office, the first town in France to have electricity.
Espadrilles: Mauléon is the espadrille capital. The industry once employed more than 3,000 workers, according to Wikipedia; it declined from the late 1950s in the face of Chinese and Spanish competition, and still accounted for around a hundred jobs in Soule in 2018. According to the tourist office, Soule now makes 65% of French production. Several workshops are open to visitors, and the Espadrille Festival (fête de l’Espadrille) takes place every 15 August on Place des Allées.
What to see
Mauléon castle
A medieval fortress overlooking the town (11th century according to Wikipedia, 1122 according to the tourist office), listed as a historic monument (monument historique). In the 15th century it was described as ‘the strongest castle in Guyenne, set upon its very high rock’ (le plus fort castel de Guyenne assis sur son moult haut roc). Open from Easter to the end of September, with interpretive displays and wooden games for children; panoramic views over the town and valley.
Saint-Jean-de-Berraute church
Documented since 1220, listed as a historic monument on 9 November 1984.
Château d’Andurain de Maytie
Built at the turn of the 17th century by Pierre de Maytie, in Renaissance style, with mullioned windows and ornate dormers. Guided tours in season.
The Maison de la Fée
The oldest house in town, dated 1785.
Market and festivals
- Market: Saturdays from 08:00 to 13:00, Place des Allées.
- Mauléon’s town festival: around 14 July.
- Espadrille Festival: 15 August.
The Soule masquerades
Sundays from January to April. Every year, the young people of one village organise the masquerade: they get themselves invited by the neighbouring villages and perform in each one in turn. In the morning, the troupe has to earn the right, through its dances, to cross the symbolic barricades put up by the villagers; in the afternoon, the show is performed on the village square.
Performed in Souletin, the masquerades pit two groups against each other:
- The Reds (gorriak) — elegant, skilful dancers in costumes reminiscent of Napoleonic soldiers, who embody the order of Souletin society; among them are the Zamalzain (the horse-man) and Jauna and Anderea (the lord and the lady)
- The Blacks (beltzak) — dirty and wild, dressed in rags or skins, representing outsiders, nomads and disorder
Their present form became fixed in the 19th century. The troupe has 25 to 80 performers, accompanied by the txürüla (three-holed flute), the ttun-ttun (string drum) and the atabala (drum).
The Soule pastorale
Theatre sung and danced entirely in Souletin. Every year a different village (sometimes two) stages its own pastorale, under the direction of the errejent, the guardian of the tradition. Rehearsals last from six months to a year; the performance lasts about three hours and is generally held on the last Sunday of July and the first Sunday of August.
Heir to medieval theatre (documented since 1750), the pastorale stages the struggle between good and evil (blues against reds), through religious, legendary or historical subjects. It has been on France’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2012, and the errejent’s know-how since 2018.
Hikes and natural sites in Soule
The Kakuetta gorges
In Sainte-Engrâce (Santa Grazi). A canyon just under 4 km long (1.5 km of it with a laid-out path), with walls 30 to 350 m high, a 20 m waterfall and a cave at the end of the trail.
The Irati forest
About 17,200 hectares straddling the border (2,310 on the French side, in Larrau in Soule and in Mendive and Lecumberry in Lower Navarre; the rest in Navarre). Billed as the largest beech forest in Western Europe.
Pic d’Orhy (2,017 m)
The highest point in Soule, on the border with Navarre: the first 2,000-metre peak in the Pyrenees coming from the Atlantic. Access from Larrau (Larraine) or from the Chalets d’Iraty.
The Gouffre de la Pierre-Saint-Martin
A Franco-Spanish cave system (main entrance near Arette, in Béarn), with 1,410 m of explored depth and the gigantic Verna chamber (255 × 245 × 194 m), in the municipality of Sainte-Engrâce.
Ready-made itineraries
One day in Mauléon
- Morning: the castle and Château d’Andurain
- Afternoon: Saint-Jean-de-Berraute church and a stroll around Licharre
A (two-day) weekend: the whole of Soule
Day 1: Mauléon Day 2: the Irati forest (full day)
Masquerade weekend (January–April)
Sunday: a masquerade in the host village Another day: sightseeing in Mauléon
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Mauléon without speaking Basque?
Of course — French is spoken everywhere. Learning a few words (milesker thank you, agur goodbye, egun on good morning) is always appreciated.
Do you need to understand Basque to watch a masquerade or pastorale?
No, not to enjoy the show, which is largely danced and musical, even though the texts are in Souletin.
How many days do you need for Soule?
At least 2 days to see Mauléon and the Irati forest, more during the masquerade or pastorale season.
Can you go with children?
Yes, in a ‘hiking / nature / culture’ spirit: the Irati forest, the castle.
Famous people linked to Mauléon and Soule
- Arnaud d’Oihenart (1592–1668) — born in Mauléon, died in Saint-Palais (Donapaleu); Souletin lawyer, jurist, poet, linguist and historian. Author of the Notitia utriusque Vasconiae and a collection of Basque proverbs and poems.
- Pierre Topet ‘Etxahun’ — Souletin poet.
- Pierre Bordaçarre ‘Etxahun-Iruri’ — poet, writer of songs and pastorales.
My favourite photo
The castle at sunset, when the stone glows. Or a masquerade in winter — the gorriak (reds) dancing in front of a village fronton.
Sources
- Pays Basque tourist office (Office de tourisme Pays basque) — Mauléon, Closure of the Kakuetta gorges (in French)
- Mauléon-Licharre town council — Tourism (in French)
- Wikipedia (in French): Soule pastorale, Soule masquerades, Gouffre de la Pierre-Saint-Martin, Mauléon-Licharre, Kakuetta gorges, Irati forest
Ongi jin — Welcome, in Souletin.