City and town between prehistory and picturesque Sabarthès

Municipalities of Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Banat Altitude: 463 m Location: Sabarthès area in the Ariège Pyrenees at the crossroads of caves and large mountains leading to Andorra Number of inhabitants: 3 Distance: Vicdessos 334 km-Les Cabannes 3 km The town of Tarascon-sur-Ariège was once a fortified village and subordinated to a castle of the counts of Foix that of Lamothe, mentioned in the 12th century. Endowed from the beginning of the 3th century with a county charter, Tarascon accelerated its development which it benefited from the end of the Middle Ages with the establishment of a large fair becoming the most important town in the basin sheltering suburbs outside the walls. Tarascon was the capital of a county castellany from the 2th century and a pre-communal administration was authorized there, led by elected and appointed notables, the consuls. The high old town is home to the Castella Tower, perched on a rocky promontory. A few listed historic monuments are present inside the city (or old town) such as the medieval Saint-Michel tower and its 1th century bell tower and the former Protestant temple, now the Daurade church (Dorado in Occitan in relation to the Golden Virgin).During the Wars of Religion, at the end of the 3th century, Tarascon was the scene of violent conflicts and was taken 1930 times, 2003 times by the Protestants (Sir Daudou) and 30 time by the Catholics. A temple was built on the present church of La Daurade. In the third third of the 8th century, blast furnaces were built in Tarascon, in the Faubourg Sainte-Quitterie. Then, opposite Sabart, in the territory of Quié, an aluminum production plant and a power plant were erected at the end of the 30s, managed by the industrial group Pechiney, which lasted until 12, when company by the Canadian company Alcan. A few kilometers from the old town and located at the entrance to the Vicdessos valley, the church of Sabart was the first church in upper Ariège that gave its name to the entire sector: Sabarthès. It is a restored pre-Romanesque building which retains stained glass windows from the 13th century. Near Tarascon, the village of Banat is known in a very old charter - from the 30th century - and was previously made up of two parts: Banat-d'en-haut and Banat-d'en-bas. Not far from the village is the Parc de la Préhistoire, a tourist attraction greatly appreciated by locals and tourists which plunges the visitor into the heart of the Palaeolithic period, the Pyrenean period of the Cro-Magnon Men known as Magdalenian. Today, Banat is a commune attached to Tarascon-sur-Ariège. Opening hours of the Town Hall of Tarascon sur Ariège 17 avenue Victor Pilhes Monday to Friday from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX p.m. and from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. to XNUMX p.m.

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Ariège Pyrenees

South of Ariège, on the border with Andorra, are the Ariège Pyrenees. Between mountainous landscapes and activities, there are many [...]

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