Today, Mazères has preserved its typical bastide layout (checkerboard plan) and a number of fine buildings, including the Castellane (now the town hall), the church, the 19th-century temple, the seminary and the remains of the medieval bridge...

The bastide town of Mazères was founded on April 29, 1253, by a deed of parage between Count of Foix Roger IV and the Abbot of Boulbonne Adhémar. The bastide grew rapidly, with the settlement of the town accompanied by the clearing of available land.In the 16th century, Mazères became the most important Protestant citadel in the county, and during the Wars of Religion, numerous religious and military buildings were burnt down and demolished. Until the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), Mazères remained the county's leading Protestant town.Although the Wars of Religion wiped out the town's 14th, 15th and 16th century heritage, Mazères is still surprisingly rich in monuments built mainly from the 18th century onwards:- The parish church, begun in 1867 and completed in 1885 with the installation of the steeple's spire- The covered market adjacent to the church, listed as a Historic Monument- The covered market with half-timbered houses- The fine buildings on Rue Gaston de Foix and Rue Martimor- The former residence of the Abbés de Boulbonne, now the town hall- The former Dominican convent, built in 1878Also noteworthy on the banks of the Hers river are.., the remains of the medieval bridge destroyed by a flood in 1875.Today, the town's pride and joy is the Hôtel Ardouin, built in 1580 by a wealthy pastry merchant. It houses the Musée du Vieux Mazères, a Renaissance garden and, soon, an interpretation center on Merovingian civilization (more information on the Museum). Free guided tour every Thursday from July 1 to August 31, from 10am to 11am. Meet under the Mazères covered market. Out of season by prior arrangement.