Ardiège is a village at the foot of the first foothills of the Pyrenees. Its history is reflected, among other things, in Le Houcheton, which is associated with Ardiège and Labarthe-Rivière: the fortified hilltop settlement dates from the Late Bronze Age and the Second Iron Age.
Culture and History
The history of Ardiège's cemetery also stretches far back. An altar dedicated to Mars Leheren was discovered in one of the doorposts.
Archaeological work at Le Houcheton identified a motte with a castle tower, an intermediate area with two buildings, and, in the lower area, terraces with two further buildings. The upper area also contains an aula, meaning a reception hall for the lord of the castle, and a castle chapel.
The Église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul d'Ardiège was rebuilt from 1856 onwards on the site of the former church. Laurence Duteil's pottery studio in Ardiège is open to the public.
The Promenade Autour d'Ardiège runs through Ardiège and Cier-de-Rivière and features several houses, squares and washhouses typical of the Comminges, providing an impression of life in earlier times.
Landscape and Surroundings
Ardiège is included in the ZNIEFF Type 2 area “Piémont calcaire commingeois et bassin de Sauveterre”.
The Promenade Autour d'Ardiège is an easy 5.5 km circular route.
The Musée archéologique départemental, a museum, is located in the vicinity of Ardiège. Also nearby are the Grotte de Gargas, a cave, and three peaks: Pic de Montbajan, Pic de Cau and Pic de Pou de Pé.
Churches in the vicinity of Ardiège include the Basilique Saint-Just and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. The wider surrounding region is also home to the Abbaye de Bonnefont en Comminges, a historic site.
Those who choose Ardiège as a travel destination want to rent a holiday apartment.
Other places in the same area: Pibrac, Merville, Gouaux-De-Larboust, Binos, Cazeneuve-Montaut, Latrape, Boussens, Colomiers.
