the essential
For their fall outing, the Friends of the Ariège archives went to explore the historical treasures of Lézat.
Often little known, this charming town in the Lèze valley contains multiple historical testimonies. Starting with the Saint-Jean Baptiste church, its furniture and its remarkable treasure. “We were welcomed there by Salem Tlemsani, originally from Lézat, teacher at the Lycée François Camel in Saint-Girons, and Georges Gaubert, passionate about local history,” explains Emile Bonnet, secretary of the association. After exploring the old center with its half-timbered facades, its covered areas and its mansions, witnesses of a prosperous past, the group reached the old congregational school.
“It was a 19th century Catholic school in which an “asylum room” has been preserved; This was how nursery classes were designated before 1881, welcoming children aged 3 to 6 to prepare them for an “honest, decent and Christian life” under the terms of the internal regulations. Curiously, these “asylum” rooms included an amphitheater that could accommodate around a hundred children like in Lézat, with a platform for the teacher and educational and religious posters on the walls. »
In 1936, this school became a homeschooling school, operating until the late 1960s. Numerous photos of the young girls and staff in strict uniforms attest to the rigor of the education. The premises, the important furniture – the small benches in the classroom for example – patiently discovered, cleaned, restored by our two contributors, have remained in their state until today. “Thanks to their meticulous work and their erudition,” underlines Emile Bonnet, “we were able to visualize the material conditions of an educational place for young children and girls, from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. »
Then joining the Lézat History & Heritage association, visitors admired a magnificent model of the old Lézat-sur-Lèze station, which has now disappeared. They then visited the classroom of the municipal school, still filled with many period educational objects. “We rediscovered the challenges of writing with a pen, with its elegant strokes and strokes, witnesses to the art of beautiful writing. » The visit concluded at the contemporary art gallery of the painter Dominique Fajeau.
