With a constant development of its urbanism since the Gallo-Roman era, the City of Oloron Sainte-Marie presents a great typological richness and an architectural variety ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day.
A thorough study identified more than 680 houses of character within the historic perimeter of the city. Each of these houses is the subject of an identity card allowing to know the period of construction, the materials and typology of architecture but also the recommendations in terms of restoration. These elements also allow us to better understand the sociology of the city where rich merchants and powerful industrialists coexisted with modest craftsmen attached to wool work.
A perimeter of heritage protection was established on the basis of this study in January 2003 with the assistance of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs.
Following the evolution of the regulation, this area covering 540 ha divided into various subsectors including 86 ha in historic zone, took turn the name of Zone de Protection du Patrimoine Urbain et Paysager (ZPPAUP) then of Aire de Valorisation de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine (AVAP) worth Remarkable Heritage Site in 2019.
The historic area is regularly monitored by the Architect of Buildings of France (pdf link UDAP) for any type of work to preserve the urban and architectural quality of the city. A monthly permanence allows to process the different requests in the historical zone.
All the data and catalogued sheets can be consulted : View the plan
Contact
urbanisme@oloron-ste-marie.fr
