Religious architecture
Ariège is famous for its landscapes, forests, mountains and lush vegetation. It's also well worth a visit for its wealth of churches, even in the most remote hamlets of the département. Three of these are particularly noteworthy: Saint-Lizier Cathedral, Notre-Dame de Vals and Saint-Martin d'Unac. Many other villages are home to remarkable churches, usually listed as historic monuments, such as Sainte-Suzanne, Mérens, Vernaux, Axiat, Arnave, Mercus, Saint-Jean-de-Verges, Saint-Félix-de-Tournegat, Vic-d'Oust, Soueix.... The list could be considerably extended, as the Catholic Church has built some truly beautiful architectural structures in this Cathar land, which later became Protestant. Whether early Romanesque (11th century) or later, the rusticity of their lines, the architectural quality of their construction and the objets d'art, statues and altarpieces they contain all leave one in awe. Above and beyond their religious significance, the Romanesque churches of Ariège are an exceptional testimony to the skills of the workers and craftsmen of the Middle Ages (some churches are over 1,000 years old!). The solidity of this beauty, which has endured for so many centuries, is something to ponder. The Vallées d'Ax tourist office offers a tour of 22 buildings around Ax-les-Thermes.
The military architecture
Although almost all medieval castles are now in ruins, and some have even disappeared altogether, they should be mentioned as witnesses to a bygone era, and as symbols of periods all too often marked by war, resistance and confrontation. The only perfectly preserved château in the département, built over several centuries, is that of Foix. The other equally famous, albeit partially destroyed, is the Château de Montségur, which remains the stone symbol of this historic tragedy. Today, many sites and towns still bear the mark and, in some cases, the soul of what was a little-known religion in the days of ancient Occitan civilization. During the Middle Ages, other fortresses played major roles in the defense of the pre-Pyrenean frontier between France and Spain: Péreille, Château-Verdun, La Garde, Mirabat, Miglos, Montréal-de-Sos, which is currently being excavated, Pailhès, La Barre, Quié... and many others. Many of these were dismantled first by Richelieu and then when the two enemies signed the Treaty of the Pyrenees.
Cities and villages
As elsewhere, towns in the Ariège region were built at the confluence of rivers, thus combining strategic position, defensive quality and access routes to promote trade. They developed under religious and military protection. Foix, for example (whose name means fork) was built at the junction of two rivers, the Arget and the Ariège. The town is crowned by an imposing fortified castle, at the foot of which stands an imposing abbey church. Medieval towns and bastides began to expand from the 18th century onwards, when they destroyed their ramparts. Fortunately for lovers of history and ancient architecture, a few sumptuous relics have survived the passage of time. Mirepoix's carved wooden roofs dating from the 12th century, Foix's half-timbered houses tucked away in the narrow streets of the old town, shepherds' orris, rustic dry-stone buildings, and private châteaux dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, are all buildings steeped in history and testimony to man's creative genius. A few minutes from Niaux, in the Vicdessos valley, the small village of Siguer boasts a Renaissance-style house dating back to 1487, which, according to tradition, was the hunting lodge of the Counts of Foix. Historically, it was the home of the consuls of the Siguer valley in 1585. The carved half-timbering on the façade makes it an exceptionally beautiful building. Thanks to its geography, the Ariège region has many different countries, cultures and languages, and consequently many different types of housing, often linked to climate and terrain. As a general rule, Ariège houses are roofed in slate and lauze in the mountains, where the raw material is readily available, and in tiles in the lower valleys. Dry-stone buildings, houses, low walls, fountains, huts and orris are all important elements of the built heritage of the Ariege Pyrenees. The orri is a small hut found in the high and mid-mountains, used for milking animals and making cheese. It generally provided the shepherd with a roof over his head and protection from the elements.
In the Haute-Ariège region, housing is concentrated in densely-packed villages, often surrounded by hamlets or "lieux-dits". Houses have openings that are taller than they are wide, and their facades are relatively symmetrical, but usually unadorned.
In the Haut Couserans and Couserans regions, housing is grouped into dense villages, with more square-shaped houses, often opening onto rather typical protected wooden galleries.
In the Plantaurel region, houses are scattered throughout the region, home to numerous bastides. The houses are larger, and the farm buildings are more substantial than in the mountains. They are built of limestone and sometimes brick, and covered with tiled roofs.
In the Basse Ariège region, housing is sparse and widely scattered, often on sunny hilltops. Villages are few and far between, set in valleys or dales, with the exception of Carla Bayle and Saint-Ybars, which are bastides perched on territory that has been difficult to secure. They are often long, built of river pebbles (often nearby) and brick.
