Oloron

Oloron lies at the meeting of the mountain rivers of Aspe and Ossau, on a route towards the passes of the Pyrenees. Across the river stood Sainte-Marie, the bishop's town, distinct from the viscounts' town of Oloron. In 1214 the bishop obtained lordship over Sainte-Marie. Its cathedral, a stopping place for pilgrims, suffered during the Wars of Religion: Montgomery's troops plundered and ravaged it in 1569.