Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Donibane Garazi in Basque) takes its name from Saint-Jean-Baptiste, patron saint of the village, and its geographical position at the foot of the Pyrenean passes, the "ports" (from the Latin portus meaning «col») leading to Spain. Since its foundation at the end of the 12th century, the history and life of the city are punctuated by this border position, defended by the kingdom of Navarre with the construction of a fortress. Built at an altitude of 80 metres, it monitors river activity on the Nive and the Pyrenees Pass through Roncevaux. In the seventeenth century, the fortress will give way to a bastioned citadel designed by the precursors of Vauban which will itself be at the origin of some modifications of the building. At its feet, the new town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port became over the centuries a major administrative centre and the commercial crossroads of the Pyrenees. Still endowed with many shops and services, the village remains an active focal point

Address
15 avenue Renaud, 64220 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France