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Origin and history

The Ladres Basin is a thermal pediluvium located in Ax-les-Thermes, Ariège department, Occitanie region. Built in the 13th century, it is contiguous to Saint-Louis Hospital, built in 1260. This rectangular basin of 12.50 m by 10 m, surrounded by three degrees granite, was fed by hot springs deafening between stone slabs. It was used for the treatment of the companions of Saint-Louis d'Armes, suffering from leprosy or skin diseases after their return from the crusades. In the vicinity, other sulphur sources complemented medieval thermal installations.

According to the archives, the basin was founded in 1260 by the Count of Foix, at the request of Saint-Louis, to treat the leper soldiers. However, his name appeared in written documents only at the end of the 18th century. The archaeological excavations of 2006 confirmed its homogeneity of construction, dated from the second half of the 13th century, although the upper margin was restored in the 19th century. In the Middle Ages, it was in the barry of the baths, an eastern extension of the town where the thermal springs were concentrated.

Over the centuries, the basin has changed its use: municipal washhouse until the 1960s, and then pediluvous after its restoration in 2008-2009. A concrete screed was then added under the pavement to avoid the uplifts of vases. The monument, which has been listed as a historical monument since 1979, is now owned by the municipality. Its diet combined the hot resurgences and the overflow of nearby fountains (Canons, Rossignol, Etuve).

The postcards of the early twentieth century attest to its use as a wash, while the cadastral archives of 1827 and archaeological reports (such as that of Pierrick Stephant and Hélène Teisseire in 2007) document its evolution. The basin could correspond to the balnea magis ("great bath") quoted in 14th century texts, surrounded by buildings once disappeared in modern times to form a paved square (calade).

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