Episode 11/76 – Castillon de Larboust
Surprising – Nature – Interesting – Unusual – History – Funny
Do you know the pretty little village of …
Castillon de Larboust?
Julien sacaze> A brilliant researcher
Who knows Julien Sacaze? For most of us, he is an illustrious stranger, for some a vague name already heard and for others a key figure in our territory.
Born in 1847 in Saint-Gaudens, we must specify that his paternal family has been from Castillon de Larboust for a very long time. And even if he obtained his baccalaureate at the age of 16 and left to study law in Toulouse, he returned to Saint-Gaudens in 1872 to register as a lawyer at the city bar. Very quickly, after marrying a Luchonnaise, he was divided between Saint-Gaudens for his profession as a lawyer and Luchon for his passion for archeology and history.
Very quickly and in the company of his friend the prehistorian Edouard Piette, he will carry out numerous excavations and together, they will make many discoveries, particularly in the mountain of Espiau (a subject that we will talk about again in other Secret de village but for the ‘instant shhhhh …!);)
In 1880, after a trip to Italy, he discovered epigraphy, a new science to which he devoted himself fully by making several publications.
In the meantime, on May 31, 1884, Julien Sacaze founded the Société des études du Comminges in Saint-Gaudens. All the members of society are essentially made up of lawyers, owners, doctors and teachers. In 1885, this Society published its first issue of the Revue de Comminges (in 130 copies). This company and this magazine still exists today.
In 1887, he participated in the International Exhibition in Toulouse, as a member of the organizing committee of the Pyrenean Exhibition. For this occasion, Sacaze is launching a major survey of linguistics and toponymy of the Pyrenees, the famous Julien Sacaze survey. The teachers of the Pyrenean departments are asked to: 1) translate two folk texts, the legend of Barbazan and the legend of Tantugou, into the local idiom; 2) the list of place names; 3) the map. This survey is a monumental work, infinitely valuable for the study of the linguistics and toponymy of the Pyrenean Midi.
In 1888, he founded the Pyrenean Association in Toulouse and died suddenly, in November 1889, at the age of 42.
In 1922, its name was given to a new learned society, the Académie Julien Sacaze. Its object is the study of any scientific, literary or artistic question relating to the central Pyrenees and more particularly to the Pays de Luchon ”. Its head office is still at the Luchon Museum
Here you have made the acquaintance of Julien Sacaze, of whom it has been said that “he therefore held by deep roots to this old soil of the Comminges that he loved so much”.
Did you know ? What is an epigraphist: he is a specialist who studies ancient inscriptions engraved on different media: stone, metal, wood, terracotta … His work helps archaeologists and historians to better understand the civilizations of pass

Source: Revue du Comminges 1-2013, In the footsteps of Julien Lacaze (André Sangay)
ETHNOPÔLE GARAE website http://www.garae.fr/