Parc Beaumont, Public park in Pau, France.
Parc Beaumont is a public park in Pau, redesigned in 1898 by landscape architect Henri Martinet in an English style. It has an artificial pond with an island, streams with concrete rockwork, cascades and bridges. At its centre stands a bandstand with an octagonal dark blue-grey metal roof, ornate columns and arches, and a pale stone base.
The property was privately held until Mayor Aristide de Monpezat acquired it in 1878 to open it to the public. A winter palace was built between 1895 and 1899, and a theatre was added in 1933 for summer concerts.
The bronze bust L'Esclavage by Jean-François Etcheto, a copy of an 1880 plaster model, was officially inaugurated in the park on 10 May 2006, the national day commemorating the slave trade and slavery. It depicts a man held in servitude rather than an abolitionist, and was restored after being vandalised in 2016 and 2020.
The park lies along the boulevard des Pyrénées, which links it with the parc du château at the opposite end. The 2018–2019 restoration added 7,000 m² on the north side, where an old boulodrome and municipal buildings were demolished and a new play area replaced the former tennis courts. The bandstand stands at the centre of the grounds.
The grounds feature rare tree species from different regions around the world, including California redwoods that are not typically found in this area. This collection makes the park an unexpectedly diverse botanical setting.
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