Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Ardouin Hotel, mistakenly associated with the Counts of Foix, is a Renaissance building built in 1580 by Pierre Garrigues, a wealthy pastel merchant of Mazères. This Toulouse brick building, located northeast of the bastide, is distinguished by its octagonal tower with screw staircase and facades adorned with sill windows. Although modified in the 18th century, it retains remarkable architectural elements, such as the canned pilasters and the scauguettes, typical of the period.

Partially classified as historical monuments in 1955 for its facades and roofs, the hotel has had several uses: diocesan seminary from 1697 and then municipal property since 1741. Today, it houses the Ardouin Museum, whose collections include neolithic objects, wisigoth and franc vestiges (Vth–VIIIth centuries), as well as an evocation of Gaston Fébus, Count of Foix, and a model of his local castle. The Renaissance-inspired garden completes this heritage complex.

The museum, opened in 1995 and extended in 2011, offers a permanent exhibition on the 'Barbares en Gaule du Sud', a result of regional archaeological excavations. Visitors also discover medieval capitals of Boulbonne Abbey (XIIIth–XIVth centuries) and archives of pastel culture, a major economic activity of Ariège in modern times. The visit, lasting an average of 1h30, explores four levels of exposure.

Architecturally, the facade on the garden is the most complete, with its central tower framed by a bell tower and bays in full hangar decorated with columns. The windows on the ground floor, redesigned in the 18th century, contrast with those on the floor, preserved in their Renaissance style. The entrance door, between doric columns, is surmounted by a entably carved, testifying to the delight of its merchant sponsor.

Located near the Hers-Vif, a tributary of Ariège, the building forms an angle between Rue de la République and Rue Castellane, where access to the museum and garden is found. Its history reflects the transformations of Mazères, a medieval bastide that became an administrative and cultural centre in Occitanie. The protection of 1955 underlines its heritage importance, although its erroneous attribution to the Counts of Foix persists in the local imagination.

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