Lercoul

Municipality of Lercoul Altitude: 1 m Location: in the heart of the Vicdessos valley, dominated by the Siguer valley in Sabarthès and located within the perimeter of the regional natural park of the Ariège Pyrenees. Number of inhabitants: 158 Distances: Vicdessos 16 km, Tarascon-sur-Ariège 15 km Village on the slope, Lercoul is a small mountain village above the villages of Siguer and Gestiès while being crossed by the Siguer stream. Lercoul is part of the type of villages that are in place before the year one thousand. This is mentioned in the 18th century in the great seigniory of Quié. It is above the village, under the peak of Ganchette, that the oldest traces of metallurgy from the mining works of Rancié have been revealed. Old coal mines and low furnaces (structures used to manufacture iron from ore) from the 10rd and 11th centuries AD have been discovered there. Because the great iron mine of Rancié concerned the mountains above Sem and Lercoul and there were many works above these villages. At the end of the 16th century, mines were still sold and exploited in Lercoul, but it was at this time that work slowed down and then ceased definitively. Since the end of the Middle Ages, until the beginning of the XNUMXth century, many inhabitants of Lercoul were therefore miners, while maintaining an agro-pastoral activity in order to be able to feed themselves. In the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, the inhabitants of Lercoul, like those of Laramade and Illier, were also often carriers, that is to say they transported ore and coal on the back of mules. At that time, many women were doing this job. Today, the small village of Lercoul receives good cultural but also natural recognition given that Lercoul is crossed by the long-distance hiking trail (GRXNUMX), which makes Lercoul a very popular place for hikers, nature lovers nature and even sportsmen for winter activities (cross-country skiing, snowshoeing) Opening hours of the town hall: Tuesday and Thursday: XNUMX a.m. - XNUMX p.m.