Medieval man bares his teeth. Grotesque human head carved in wood on late-13th century timber-framed façade of the Maison des Consuls, the former council house, of the bastide town of Mirepoix in the Ariège, Occitanie, southwest France.
Mirepoix, Ariège, Occitanie, France: open wider … a medieval man grimaces and gurns through gritted teeth amid wild beasts, monsters and other grotesque human heads on the late-13th century timber-framed façade of the Maison des Consuls, the former council house of this fortified bastide town between Carcassonne and Foix. The Maison des Consuls stands in the central Place du Maréchal-Leclerc, also known as Place des Couverts or Les Couverts, which is renowned as one of the finest surviving arcaded market squares in France. It is bordered by timber-framed houses dating from the 13th to 15th centuries with their upper floors, supported by wooden pillars, jutting out over galleries below. The beam ends of the Maison des Consuls, now a hotel, are sculpted with animals and people, including caricatures of medieval artisans, African heads, female heads - and even a wooden tortoise. In all, there are 103 ancient carvings: 100 arranged in four horizontal rows of 25 each, plus three fixed to the pillars. The grid of streets comprising Mirepoix town centre has not changed its layout since the 13th century. The original settlement on the right bank of the Hers river was destroyed by a violent flood in 1289, but was rebuilt on higher ground in 1290 on the opposite bank. Both oak and fir wood was used to build the houses surrounding the market square. The infill between the timber framing is today painted in harmonious pastel hues and at ground level, shops, restaurants and pavement cafes line the shaded walkways.
Size: 4072px × 2709px
Location: Maison des Consuls, Place du Maréchal-Leclerc, Mirepoix, Ariège, Occitanie, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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