descendant of Edmond Rostand, his great-nephew Charles came to honor his memory in Cambo-les-Bains

“For the first time in 30 years, we are lucky to have a Rostand at Rostand,” says Robert Poulou, deputy mayor of Cambo-les-Bains, responsible for Culture and president of the Friends of ‘Arnaga.

The last of the Rostand line passing through the Villa Camboarde? It was Jean, the son, who died in 1977. But that was before this Monday, January 13 and the arrival of Charles, the great-nephew, who narrated the past of the poet and writer, during a conference , followed by nearly 80 people in the orangery.

“This is the first time that I have agreed to indulge in this exercise in family vanity,” slips the septuagenarian mischievously. With Robert Poulou, we became closer two years ago, at the time of the inauguration of the bust of Edmond Rostand in the 17th arrondissement of Paris (Editor’s note: placed opposite that of Sarah Bernhardt) and we fell in love with agreement to organize this event. »

Nearly 50 bearers of the name

After discovering “behind the scenes, the kitchens in particular”, he outlined – for half an hour – the origins of this Italian dynasty, before tackling the career of Edmond Rostand. A story interspersed with poems and notes dictated by his friends.

“Maintain these memories? It’s a kind of moral duty, he assures. I do it with pleasure. I am proud of this surname. We are committed to perpetuating our family glories. There are around fifty bearers of the name in France. »

Keeping his memory alive is one of the main objectives of the Friends of Arnaga and Edmond Rostand association. The latter also intends to promote its work by organizing meetings, outings, concerts and conferences. She also wishes to contribute to the influence of her home in the Basque Country. “I understand why, after his stays in Luchon, he settled here,” exclaims Charles Rostand. The setting is truly sumptuous. »

“Cyrano” but not only

A member of the board of directors of the Labourdine structure, which has nearly 140 members (compared to 400 a decade ago), Pierre-Alexandre Carré embodies the next generation. “Normally, I am the youngest in the association,” slips the “Sud Ouest” correspondent. I limit myself to giving my opinions on our various activities. I believe that we really need to preserve this heritage. This place has a soul, you have to come there with respect. Last year, there were more than 87,000 visitors. The three summer performances still attracted a significant number of spectators, up to 800 for the final performance. »

“It’s a flash in a family, there will be no other. »

“For those who like to read or write, we really need to look at Rostand’s literary heritage and what he can bring to the future,” adds Pierre-Alexandre Carré, who believes that the man of letters is not not sufficiently highlighted in school curricula.

Written in 1935 and unobtainable since the 1950s, Rosemonde Gérard’s book, entirely dedicated to her husband, has been republished by the association. “We really worked hard with Kilika, who guided us,” he continues. We spent an afternoon digging through the photographic background to find out what we could add to the hundreds of pages. This work describes, in a few anecdotes, the man and the artist he was before, during and after ”Cyrano de Bergerac”. »

“Tortured and at the same time brilliant”

To conclude, private, previously unpublished images of Edmond Rostand, captured on the fly by actor and playwright Sacha Guitry, were projected. “I knew these videos, unlike those of Sarah Bernhardt, in Belle-Île-en-Mer,” explains Charles Rostand. Whether it was her or Coquelin, he had friends who supported him. It propelled him, stimulated him. His talent was exceptional. He was very complicated, tortured, depressive and at the same time brilliant. It’s sad that he died so young because of the Spanish flu (Editor’s note: at age 50, in 1918). It’s a flash in a family, there will be no other. »