LA GROTTE DE LIMOUSIS

The history of the cave of Limousis goes back to the night of time, shelter under rock is known both by the prehistoric man and the cave bear, this cave was always a refuge for the man.

In the first room there are many traces of bear scratching, attesting to its presence there, 12,000 years ago during the Upper Palaeolithic period, the period corresponding to the last great glaciation. At the beginning of the last century, archaeological excavations were able to attest to the occupation of the cave by Neolithic man. Many bones and fragments of pottery have proved this presence of a prehistoric man who seems to have spread over several thousand years.

The natural entrance seems to have been obstructed and the cave was forgotten by men for several centuries.

Writings seem to attest that it was rediscovered in 1811. However, inscriptions found on some walls of the cavity prove that the cave served as a refuge in 1789 to the king’s camels. Other inscriptions, also appearing on the walls, seem to prove that it served as an initiatory journey to many explorers. Names of local families appear regularly from generation to generation.

In 1897 the cave had not been fully explored and the last known room was that of the “Green Lake”.

Another peculiarity of this cave, which seems to have always been subjected to the regular intrusion of men, was exploited in 1830 for one year by Italian quarries, transforming concretions into tables and chimney-pieces. One can still observe the traces of this ephemeral exploitation which fortunately was limited to the first room, the room known as the columns.

It is that in 1825 the first official visits of the cave, seem to have taken place. It was then necessary to go to the village to pay an entrance fee and to recover the keys allowing to cross the front door.

In 1913, when he was commissioned by the town hall to carry out the work on the large lake, Mr. Marius Tirafort, a mason of his state, accidentally discovered the continuation of the cavity and what makes it today Reputation the luster of aragonite.

In 1935, by decision of the municipal council, it was decided to electrify the cave.

In 1973, another piece of work was undertaken to make the cave more accessible.

In 2001, SETSN, currently manager of the site, was entrusted with the modernization of the development with a return to norms of the electrical installations and by setting up a reception house.