LE COURTAT ET LA PLACE DU MARCHÉ

About

Le Courtat est le vieux quartier de Luchon.

Le Courtat is bordered to the north by Rue Victor Hugo, to the west by Rue Laity, and to the south by the Superbagnères mountain.

Its origins date back to the late 11th century and early 12th century. At that time, its buildings housed stables belonging to horse and carriage hire firms. Back then, the neighbourhood was home to a number of small trades, such as wine deliverymen, woodcutters and blacksmiths. In the evenings, residents would gather in the cool of the street, and conversations could last until late into the night. People’s happiness or misfortune was then shared by everyone.

Whilst the age-old traditions of neighbourhood life endured for a long time, it was the arrival of television in homes that gradually eroded them.

However, one tradition remains: the Saint-Pierre bonfire, held every 29 June. On this occasion, a tree trunk planted vertically – the ‘brandon’ – is set alight at nightfall. This marks the great Courtat festival. The bonfire is lit at the Source Palo det Mailh, at the top of the path to Superbagnères. Once the brandon has burnt out, the neighbourhood ball begins.

At the heart of the Courtat neighbourhood lies the market square and its market hall.

This was the first metal-framed building erected in Luchon in 1896 on the site of the Frères school. At the end of the 19th century, the wonders of industry made it possible to select this factory-prefabricated model from a catalogue, which was then assembled in a matter of days. The architectural hallmarks of that era are evident here: arcades, pinnacles, columns and capitals, all enhanced by refined decoration featuring ceramic elements and colourful friezes.

It is a building with a fairy-tale quality, the aesthetics of which must have seemed shocking at the time of its construction. Though long disparaged, market halls have been appreciated since the ‘Baltard craze’ at the Musée d’Orsay. The market hall was restored in 2000.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday, its stalls house shops and a small bar. Every Wednesday and Saturday, the entire market square comes to life and becomes a favourite meeting place for the valley’s residents and local producers.

The long building bordering the market square now houses the Nelson Mandela Cultural Centre. This was once the site of the town hall, which burnt down completely on 25 October 1935. Its attic housed all the pyrotechnic equipment used to organise fireworks displays; a large part of the archives was lost in that fire.