AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Behind the Château d'Espelette in the French Basque Country, a sculptural monument honors the moment this small village gave the world one of its most beloved animals. Created by artist Régis Pochelu in 2019 for the 150th anniversary of the panda's scientific discovery, the work called Topaketa — Basque for "The Meeting" — commemorates Père Armand David (1826–1900), the Lazarist missionary and naturalist born here who first described the giant panda to Western science in March 1869.↗↗
Carved from sandstone quarried on the nearby La Rhune mountain, the monument stands freely accessible behind the castle, inviting visitors to touch its polished surface. Two engraved signatures rest at its base — one belonging to David himself, and one playfully given to the panda.↗
The naturalist from Espelette
Jean-Pierre-Armand David was born in Espelette on September 7, 1826, the son of a doctor who also served as mayor. A passionate student of nature from childhood, he entered the Congregation of the Mission (the Lazarists) and taught natural sciences in Savona, Italy, before being sent to China in 1862. The Paris Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, eager to catalogue the poorly known flora and fauna of the Qing Empire, dispatched David on a series of ambitious expeditions across Mongolia, Tibet, and the interior provinces.
