Killing avalanches 10-11 février 1917 (≈ 11)
Twelve dead in Roca Gelera under 10m of snow.
1931
End of mining
End of mining 1931 (≈ 1931)
Final cessation of extractive activities.
1944
Execution of Julien Panchot
Execution of Julien Panchot 1944 (≈ 1944)
Resistant captured and murdered by the German army.
10 décembre 2015
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 10 décembre 2015 (≈ 2015)
Protection of mining and railway remains.
2019
Financing Heritage Lotto
Financing Heritage Lotto 2019 (≈ 2019)
Allocation of funds for preservation.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The remains of the Pinous, Roque Jalère and Manerots mining sites as well as the facilities related to the transportation of the ore by the Pinous mining railway between the Rapaloum and Formentera stations (all surface remains and ground installations) in full, as demarcated in red on the five plans annexed to the Order (see Cd. Valmanya C 205, 206 (mining city, place called the Pinouse), 190 (poudrière), 186 (trailer, canteen workshop, transformer, place called Roque Jalère), 176 (platform, hopper, tunnel, place called Rapaloum); The Bastide B 755 (house of the "caseta" railway line of the Bosc del Ouillat, "Bosc de l'Ouillat" place), 753, 767, 906 (tunnels), 909 (tubb, tank, place called the Manerots), 896, 897, 899 (slope plane, hoppers, grill oven, forge), 898 (cantine), 905 (house of the foreman known as Casa del Rei), 885 (tunnel); Saint-Marsal B 74 (house of the "caseta de Saint-Marsal" railway), 82 (tunnel); Montbolo C 39 (trailer, grill oven, various buildings, place called Gare de Formentera)): registration by order of 10 December 2015
Key figures
Julien Panchot - Resistant leader
Captured and executed in 1944 on the site.
Origin and history
The Pinouse mine, located in the town of Valmanya in the Pyrénées-Orientales, is part of the Canigou iron belt. Industrially operated in the 20th century, it is contiguous to the Batère mines, on the opposite side of the mountain. His mining activity, attested since ancient times, grew with the Catalan forges before becoming industrialized. The site also includes the operations of Roque Jalère, Rapaloum, and railway infrastructure spread over several municipalities (La Bastide, Saint-Marsal, Montbolo).
On February 10 and 11, 1917, two avalanches struck the Roca Gelera mining building (Jalère Rock), destroying the facilities and burying twelve people under 10 metres of snow. This drama marks the tragic history of the site, already linked to iron extraction. In 1944, the resistant Julien Panchot was captured, tortured and executed by the German army, making the Pinous a symbol of the Resistance during the Second World War.
The site, registered as a historic monument in 2015, benefits from funding in 2019 via the Heritage Lotto for its preservation. Protected remains include mines (Pinouse, Roque Jalère, Manerots), tunnels, railway stations (Rapalum, Formentera), and related buildings such as canteens or forges. These elements demonstrate the economic and strategic importance of the site, from antiquity to its decline in 1931.
The Pinous mine also illustrates the spatial organization of the Canigou mining operations, with infrastructure scattered over several municipalities. The railway, essential for the transport of the ore, connected the stations of Rapaloum and Formentera, crossing tunnels and hoppers still visible today. This network reflects the industrial scope of the project, despite its short duration of activity in the 20th century.
Finally, the site embodies a collective memory, both industrial and resistant. The events of 1917 and 1944, combined with its recent inscription, make it a place of commemoration and study, where mining history, human tragedies and the legacy of the Resistance intersect. The 2015 protection aims to preserve these traces for future generations.
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