Emmanuel Macron: What does the villa where he spent his childhood holidays look like?

As a child, Emmanuel Macron used to spend his summer holidays at his maternal grandparents' house in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. In 2021, he emotionally shared a precious memory with the media outlet Zadig : “My other center of gravity was the Hautes-Pyrénées, Bagnères-de-Bigorre. A green paradise where I still go, my grandparents' place of origin, the one where I took refuge every summer. I spent a lot of time there. I was the child king in this modest place, near the national road.”

A haven of peace

This family home, nestled on the outskirts of Bagnères, was “a little corner of paradise,” which his aunt Nicole, whose house adjoins that of Emmanuel Macron’s grandparents, described as “a bourgeois residence with flesh-colored walls, with a terrace bathed in the shade of palm trees” during an interview given to the media outlet La Dépêche in May 2017.

Within its walls, Emmanuel Macron shared simple and joyful moments with his grandparents. According to the president, this place was "a place synonymous with absolute happiness , with very stable points of reference, which I still find today." He played ping-pong, tennis, and pétanque, and accompanied his grandfather on fishing trips to the Vallon du Salut.

His aunt also recalled his taste for work and reading , a passion he was nurtured with by his grandmother “Manette” . “He played the piano, philosophized with her, analyzed readings. He loved it, he asked for more. It wasn’t Manette who imposed it on him. No, he just wanted to work, it was his nature.”

Manette, whose real name was Germaine Arribet, was born in Tarbes in 1915. She worked as a teacher and then as a middle school principal. Before the Second World War, she married Jean Noguès, whose parents ran a business in Bagnères-de-Bigorre. The couple settled first in Nièvre, then in Amiens, in the Somme. From this union was born Françoise, the mother of Emmanuel Macron, who would pursue a career in medicine.

A deep attachment to the region

Even today, although most of his official holidays are spent at Fort Brégançon , Emmanuel Macron maintains a strong connection with the Hautes-Pyrénées and his grandparents' home. He regularly returns to Bagnères-de-Bigorre, where he rediscovers his roots and the memory of “Manette,” whose grave he continues to lay flowers on, as he did during his re-election in 2022.

In winter, he sometimes takes a few moments to relax in the ski resort of La Mongie , located 25 km from Bagnères-de-Bigorre, where he is a regular. He also enjoyed a short stay in this resort in the Hautes-Pyrénées last February.