Glacière de Pradelles-Cabardès, glacière à Pradelles-Cabardès (Aude)
The Glacière de Pradelles-Cabardès is an underground ice storage chamber built in the 1800s in this mountain village. The structure features thick stone walls and two small ground-level doors, one for loading snow and one for removing ice blocks.
The ice house emerged in the 1840s when Pierre Piquemol started ice production in the area in 1849. His family and other villagers expanded the operation, establishing multiple storage facilities by 1859, and ice was transported to neighboring lowland areas and cities like Toulouse and Bordeaux.
The name comes from the French word for ice, marking its original purpose in village life. The stone structure with its thick walls remains part of the local landscape, reflecting how communities once depended on natural cold for survival and daily needs.
The site sits near marked hiking trails around the village, making it accessible during walks through the area. The underground nature of the structure keeps the interior cool even on warm days, creating a pleasant experience when visiting.
The ice blocks weighed around 50 kilograms and were wrapped in jute cloth called bourra before being distributed via horse-drawn carts to shops and homes across the region. This transport method enabled an entire trade to flourish until railways arrived.
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