La Compagnie des Cadets de Casteljaloux

Co-Présidents : Jean Rascol et Serge Gatinaud

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The "Cadets" Company of Casteljaloux

CASTELJALOUX, as we know it, was founded by the turn of 11th century by a parage between Sire Bernard Aiz of Albret and the abbot Gérald of the abbey La Sauve Majeure, which was newly born in 1079. On july 14th 1996, we celebrated the birthday of our town, she is 900 year-old. We decided then to create a "brotherhood".  A woman and three men had been chosen for their voluntary involvement in social, cultural and sports associations. These people have been sacred Cadet of Casteljaloux, dressed like musketeers : red cloak, feathered hat and a medal. The sacrament was orchestrated and highlighted by the epic verses from the Cyrano de Bergerac  tirade of  Edmond Rostand, those which made Casteljaloux well-known all through the world :

Ce sont les Cadets de Gascogne
De Carbon de Castel-Jaloux,
Bretteurs et menteurs sans vergogne
Ce sont les Cadets de Gascogne
Parlant blason, lambel, bastogne
Tous plus nobles que des filous.
Ce sont les Cadets de Gascogne
De Carbon de Castel-Jaloux.

Oeil d'Aigle, jambe de Cigogne,
Moustache de chat, dent de Loup,
Fendant la canaille qui grogne,
Oeil d'Aigle, jambe de Cigogne,
Ils vont, coiffés d'un vieux vigogne
Dont la plume cache les trous !
Oeil d'Aigle, jambe de Cicogne,
Moustache de chat, dent de Loup !

Perce bedaine et Casse-trogne
Sont leurs sobriquets les plus doux ;
De gloire, leur âme est ivrogne !
Perce bedaine et Casse trogne,
Dans tous les endroits où l'on cogne
Ils se donnent des rendez-vous...
Perce bedaine et Casse-trogne
Sont leurs sobriquets les plus doux !

Voici les Cadets de Gascogne
Qui font cocus tous les jaloux !
Ö femme, adorable carogne,
Voici les Cadets de Gascogne !
Que le vieil époux se renfrogne :
Sonnez, clairons ! chantez, coucous !
Voici les Cadets de Gascogne
Qui font cocus tous les jaloux !

This performance was appreciated and that is why it still exists; the brotherhood is now called : “La Compagnie des Cadets de Casteljaloux". It is a subcommisson of the Tourist Board.

The celebration is on july 14th : a parade in the streets with the Harmonie Municipale “Alegria banda”, a sacrament of some new "cadets", and a procession to the war memorial where the official and national event takes place.

The Company is composed of about thirty "Cadets" people. There are some "Cadets" of honour : Jacques Weber and Francis Huster who got upon famous stages the name of Casteljaloux with "Cyrano de Bergerac".

In Casteljaloux, everything is "cadet" :
A very well-known restaurant : the "Cadets de Gascogne" has become a bank! The XIII and XV rugby teams “Les Cadets” which had their hour of glory and which is now U.R. Marmande – Casteljaloux; and the "Compagnie des Cadets" association.

The musketeers, the "Cadets de Gascogne" mean something to our imagination; it is our saga, our legend like the song of Roland or the westerns for the American people. However, the musketeers and the "Cadets" mix up in our mind. First of all, the musketeers were soldiers armed with a musket used with the rifle, then they became gentlemen at the House of the King. They had been created by Louis XIII in 1622, and changed by Louis XIV in 1665. According to the coat of their horse, a distinction was made between "grey musketeers" and "black musketeers";  furthermore, they were dressed with scarlet uniforms. In 1775, Louis XVI discharged them, in 1789 they were back, in 1791 they were fired, in 1814 they were back again and finally they disappeared in 1815. The "Cadets" were the yougest in the aristocratic families. As the eldest used to get the whole of the inheritance, the "Cadet"'s destiny was to be a soldier or a monk. At the beginning, they were volunteers with no pay, then often regemented, and in 1862  Louis XIV decided to transform them into educated officers in a nursery. This sort of school had been perpetuated with Louis XV and Louis XVI, but it disappeared at the French revolution.

Thanks to these explainations, the "Cadets de Gascogne" are considered as rather musketeers than "cadets", this is why we wear that kind of uniform.

"CADET" of HONOUR :

In april 1998, sacrament of Pierre Blanc,  gouvernor of  the Lion's Club of the South West province, while their regional meeting in Casteljaloux.

Roger and Guy Louret of the "Baladins en Agenais".

Jacques Weber and Francis Huster sacred in Bonaguil : they got upon famous stages the name of Casteljaloux with "Cyrano de Bergerac".

Matsuura, famous Judoka, president of "Amis du Lot et Garonne" in Nishinomya, a twintown in Japon.

The Mayor of Kunheim, a twintown of Casteljaloux : the Alsatian people found refuge here in 1939.

Jean François Poncet, senator and president of the Counsil of the Department and Foreign Minister, while the Feast of the Twinning.

Meeting of the Tourist Board and Tourist Information Offices of the department, sacrament of M. Benedetti, director of the Tourism Committee of the Department; M. Claude Boyer, councillor and president of the CDT; M. Jean-Louis Chelles president of the UDOTSI.

Regional meeting of tourism, sacrament of : Marie José Quillet from Travelling Voyage; Rosine Picard  from the SNCF communication service; Louis Lucchini, president of Tourism Committee of the Region.

Gilles Debost from the Tourist Board of Pont de Vaux while the "Semaine de Goût" in 2006.

In 2007, championship of France of UFOLEP cyclo-cross, sacrament of two national people in charge.

In october 2007, meeting of the retired veterinary of Barbaste; sacrament of Roger Very,  president of GNVR,  and Daniel Simon,  a Belgian veterinary president of "Amis du vin" (Friends' wine).