|
|
|
|
It is also the type of settlement that is concentrated and where the accommodation, barns and stables are all under the same roof. So this type of housing is probably intended for farmers-stockbreeders who lead an intensive pastoral life. The sizes of the barns and stables are normally very large, often to the detriment of the living areas.
L'Ecot |
 |
 |
The
house where all the family lived under one roof was a way of life that
only disappeared in the middle of the last century (20th century), but
which was not related to the severity of the climate. It was a way of
life which also existed in the Alps of Piedmont at an altitude of up to
600 metres and also in the Massif Central and Brittany. It stemmed from
a traditional way of life that continued in order to supplement the heating
which was difficult to maintain due to a shortage of wood. There existed
in this type of housing a vast communal living area for both people and
animals which was buried in order to conserve the heat and there was not
much light either. This room was reached by a hopper which had three doors
incorporated into it so that it would "keep the cold outside".
|
|
Animals
were kept on one side, people on the other, at the feet of the eating
troughs for the sheep. A well or a chimney helped the room to be ventilated
and a cellar, often dug into the road, often enlarged it. Above, there
was a barn that was served by an inside staircase and a "chambril" (French
slang) reserved for grain.
|
|
 |
The houses are made of stone and cemented together using lime. The structure
is made of larch wood and the roof is slightly sloping and covered with
roofing stone. These roofing stones are cut to size using gneiss and more
often than not using shale. Their laying is an art in itself as the water
tight sealing of the roof depends on it, but at the same time respecting
the aesthetic aspect. The chimneys are also in stone with their chimney
caps placed on four supports that are also made out of stone.
|
|
Another characteristic of this type of housing are the dry stone arches
that close the courtyards, the balconies in wood on the south facing side,
on which the "grebons" (blocks of sheep manure that are used for heating
purposes) are dried. The beams come out of the walls and often have carved
tips.
Concerning the openings, the windows are of a reduced size due to the climate and have bars across them but no shutters. Generally the houses have two doors : a small one for the occupants and a large one for the barn. The habitat is of a squat like nature and feels very rustic. It fits very nicely into the surrounding landscape and is very typical of l'Ecot. |
|
|
Tourist
Office
73480 Bonneval-sur-Arc Tel. 04.79.05.95.95 - Fax : 04.79.05.86.87 E-mail : info@bonneval-sur-arc.com |
|
