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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The bridge over the Lauquette, located in Mas-des-Cours in the department of Aude, is a medieval structure whose construction could go back to at least the sixteenth century. It is distinguished by its atypical masonry apparatus, which did not comply with the requirements of the province of Languedoc established in 1608. This two arched bridge in the middle of the hanger, with a central pile equipped with a spelt reinforced with blocks arranged in harp, was built in rubble with irregular seats. Its style and construction technique suggest an ancient origin, prior to the standard standards of the seventeenth century.

In 1777, the bridge was already mentioned as an ancient work in a general state of the bridges of the diocese, confirming its existence long before that date. Originally, it served as a passage on the old road of Fajac, linking the village to the city of Carcassonne, on which Mas-des-Cours then depended for his pre-position. This path also led to the castle of the Cours, a 12th century Templar fortress later owned by the Order of Malta. The bridge therefore played a strategic role in local communications, facilitating exchanges between these historic sites.

The bridge was listed as historic monuments by order of 29 November 1948, thereby recognizing its heritage value. Its inscription protects in particular its unique architectural features, such as the arrangement of the bellows and the shape of its arches, which bear witness to medieval construction techniques. Today, there remains an important vestige of local history, linked to both the Templars, the ecclesiastical organization of the diocese and the old road infrastructure of the region.

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