Did you know that King Louis XIV got married in Saint-Jean-de-Luz? Well, wouldn't you?

In 1660, King Louis XIV of France was wedded to the Infanta Maria Theresa of Spain. The title infanta was given to the children of the king in Spain and Portugal.

While the marriage itself was not a particularly happy one – King Louis had numerous public love affairs – the story of the wedding has gone down in history as being somewhat legendary.

The reason the marriage was arranged in the first place was to ease the growing tensions between France and Spain. It was thought that the union of these two royal youngsters would do a lot of diplomatic good. Although it was met with some resistance by members of each country who resented the idea of a union between the two countries.

Nevertheless, the wedding happened and as a thank you for being so hospitable, the French king granted Saint-Jean-de-Luz some tax exemptions, which lasted for 30 years.

Portrait of King Louis XIV

The wedding took place in Saint-Jean-de-Luz because of its ideal location right on the border of France and Spain. Then, as now, Saint-Jean-de-Luz flourished and was considered the perfect spot for a religious, royal wedding. The wedding ceremony took place in the Saint Jean Baptist Church, which stood in the centre of the town. Visitors travelling to Saint-Jean-de-Luz today will still find the church in its original location. It is a living relic of a bygone era.

One interesting thing about the wedding between these two royals is what happened to the door after the ceremony. It is said, although not proved, that after the wedding was over, Louis XIV had the door that they had used to enter the church walled up so that no-one could ever use it again.

People in the baptist church in Saint Jean de Luz - © Saint-Jean-de-Luz

If you are interested in history then Saint-Jean-de-Luz, in the Basque Country, is a prime spot to let yourself be transported back in time whilst still enjoying the best that France has to offer. The antiquated architecture, combined with a gourmet cuisine scene and some excellent coastal landscapes, will make you wish you can stay in this little fairytale town forever.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Sandra
We are a group of Wine Aficionados and we recently traveled to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and Paris and were very impressed with this service. It took us quite some time to formalize (and agree) what we wanted in terms of places and wineries we wanted to visit, but in the end "France Just for You" came through with excellent organization and …
Sheena
My friend and I decided to do a trip to Paris and then drive down to Nice. I was initially going to plan it however I got busy with work and did not have the time. This is when I found, France Just for You, and read the amazing reviews on Trip Advisor and decided to book. Emilie was great! She was thoughtful and paid great attention to detail. We …
Joel
We highly recommend Emilie’s services. She put together an excellent itinerary. She made all the arrangements and the guides she retained for us where top notch. The B&B accommodations were very good, the hosts were terrific and we enjoyed the other travelers we met at breakfast. We did two table d'hote dinners which were excellent and her …
Andre & Family from South Africa
"France Just For You" is the BEST way to visit France If you want to go on a tailor made self drive holiday to France, there is no better way, but to ask Emilie and Laura from France Just For You, to arrange it for you. We have traveled overseas a couple of times already, but then you have to do a lot of homework before hand, and you never know …
Dan
I am a planner by nature and my wife and I found that Emilie at France Just For You exceeded all of our expectations for our trip to France. The daily itineraries the restaurant recommendations things to see and even things not to see. The B&B's we stayed at were outstanding. She even planned a few surprises for us on some of our activities. Do not …
Kelly
My husband and I just returned from a 9 day trip to Burgundy and Provence. We had fairly high expectations based on all the reviews we had read about France Just For You. I must say, the trip far exceeded those expectations and was such a memorable experience. The B&Bs recommended were right in line with what we were hoping and the hosts were …