Sarrancolin

Sarrancolin, which is crossed by D 929, is located in valley of Aure, at the edge of the river Neste at the beginning of the channel of Neste, zt 18 km from Lannemezan and 7 km from Arreau, its chief town of canton; at 50 km of Spain, at 136 km of Toulouse, 88 km of Pau and 82 km of Auch and 50 km of Tarbes.

The city is with the foot of the collar of Beyrède, which gives access to the valley of Campan and the collar of Estivère which allows, as for him, the connection with the valley of High Nistos. Its territory is extended from share and the other of the valley, and surrounds completely towards east Ilhet; it thus reaches the peak of the mount Aspet (1 849 m) which dominates Barousse; a small station of ski known as of Nistos-Cape Nestès was arranged on this oriental party of the territory of Sarrancolin, but its access is done by Nistos.

The commune of Beyrède-Jumet, which had 650 hab. in 1831 but is still depopulated (- 18 hab. of 1999 to 2004), extends towards the west and point of disjunction the third road in direction of Bagnères by the collar of Beyrède, a little low than Aspin (1 417 m); bakery Barn (25 sal.). Above raise the signal of Bassia (1 921 m), where there is a sight extended, in north towards Baronnies, the south on the high Pyrenean chain.

• The church of the purest Romance style dates from XIst and XIInd centuries. Built in the shape of Greek cross, its chorus decorated in XVth century is closed by a wrought iron grid of XVIe century. The stalls are Rebirth, statues, retables and tables of the XVIIth century. All furniture is remarkable there. Another richness the mounting of Saint-Ebons (XIIIrd century) out of gilded copper and champlevés enamels on which figure fourteen characters. It contains relics of the saint, bishop of Barbastro (Spain), died in 1104 and buried in the monasteries of the Benedictines. A powerful square bell-tower surmounts the building whose arrow is confined of four pinnacles to broad Romance bays.
• The vault of Esplantats, in the north of the city, was built at the Xth century. Become quite national in 1789, the opening of the imperial road required its demolition. Its rebuilding goes back to 1877. Its name would come owing to the fact that at the time of a battle deaths were so numerous that the bodies were buried " debout" (Esplantats = Planted).
• The gate Sainte-Quiterie, in the south of the city, is a square tower with which a semi-circular vault offers the passage. It support the blazon of the city and a date: 1530, hardly readable, hammered with the Revolution.

While coming from north you arrive at the entry of the borough on a mining cottage, completely strange district in these regions. This is to forget that Sarrancolin has a working and industrial tradition: before the aluminium, the marble of the area was conveyed here, coming from Campan, Ilhet and of the careers of the commune, by inland waterway on Neste, via Toulouse and the Garonne, until Bordeaux. The weaving of wool is also a local arts and crafts. To note in village, houses suspended on the banks of the river, narrow lanes at the half-timbered houses and corbelling (of XVth and XVIth centuries), a Roman church of XIInd century with square bell-tower with small pinnacles. This old priory built on an antique sees Roman, stage of the way of St Jacques, provided marbles for the castle of Versailles and the Palais Garnier, amongst other things.