For the municipality, it was time to renew this place…
For the municipality, it was time to renovate this emblematic place that had not been refreshed since 1999. “For several months, the stone slabs have been raised in the perimeter, which could be dangerous for pedestrians, but also for strollers and people with reduced mobility.
Notes Marie-Lyse Bistué, deputy in charge of participatory democracy. During periods of severe weather, streams of rain poured onto the square before draining down the stairs forming a waterfall.
The sandy surface, colonized by grasses, also tends to become muddy during the fair on the 1ster May or festivals around Sainte-Croix.
500 tons of rubble
These results and the requests of the neighborhood committee prompted the city to start a work carried out by the company Eurovia d’Orin for an amount of €62,000 including taxes.
The ground of the square was excavated and about 500 tons of materials were taken. “This entire volume has been deposited in our technical center so that it can be reused as needed in the road construction sites,” explains Jean Contou-Carrère, deputy in charge of the work.
The technicians then rebuilt the foundations with different layers of pebbles on which they smoothed a mixture of sand stabilized with yellow lime.
“We don’t have much choice because we have to respect the limitations of the French Building Architect (ABF),” says Philippe Mendy, head of the city’s roads and operations department.
The stone cobblestone is of course preserved. The city also took advantage of this project to revise the water drainage with the installation of a sump and an absorption grid.
Canned roots
Nice surprise from the trees whose deep immersion roots are not directly responsible for the movement of the slabs. “He raised the earth which made the stones move on the surface”, notes Jean Contou-Carrère. Enough to allow everything to be level without touching the roots of the trees.
Benoit Rouzaud
Other improvements are to come such as the installation of banks or development of a fat crown that connects the plane trees. This will be planted after the celebrations of the Holy Cross that take place at the end of June.
In addition, the adjacent petanque field will also be renovated during the summer by the municipal services. While waiting for these final touches, residents, associations and children have the pleasure of finding their place this Friday and practicing their activities there.
A place to live par excellence
According to the city archives, the Faubourg Saint-Pierre was formed in the 14th.e century, the city of Oloron could no longer absorb the growing number of merchants, artisans and buyers who traded in particular with Spain.
This part of the population therefore settled outside the walls, constituting over time the second parish of the city. The current configuration of Saint-Pierre square, in an ellipse bounded by a low wall, dates from 1820. Centuries after its creation, this space still plays an essential role in the life of this neighborhood.
“It is one of the few flat places where you can learn to walk or ride a bike. Families can look after their children in total safety since it is a closed place,” recalls Marie-Lyse Bistué. For Jean Contou-Carrère, it is one of the most beautiful places in Oloron.
The deputy mayor, who has lasting memories of football and marble matches there, considers it “a place to live for excellence” and also a hotspot for tourists visiting the city.