Nestled on a low mountain in the Vaucluse,
a cable's length from the village of
Gordes, the Bories village, classed
as a historic monument, gives a priceless
account of the way of life in Provence,
from far-off times to the present day.
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An architectural
masterpiece
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In a twist in one of the paths that
leads through the scrub, scantly shaded
by the holm oaks, the visitor comes
across a group of thirty dry stone
huts, now revived and restored following
ten years of work. These characteristic
constructions in their pure and simple
shapes represent an architectural masterpiece.
The stones, without use of mortar,
have been skillfully stacked into huts
with corbelled vault ceilings, huts
which reflect the harmony of natural
materials, from which emanate an austere
quality, and at the same time, a gentleness
caressed by the stunning light of Provence.
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The word "Borie", of Provençal
origin, comes from the Latin "boaria" -
oxen stable -, signifying a type of
shed. The hut has always been an institution
in Provence. First popping up in fields
to house the peasants' tools, it became,
as time passed, the little country
house, done up, often in quite a rudimentary
manner, to spend Sundays and holidays.
The borie also permetted shepherds
to shelter their flocks. To build them,
our ancestors gathered the stones from
the calcareous surroundings. They were
just lying there for the taking.
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The houses in the village
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The Bories village, a very unique
village, is composed of seven groupings
of huts, each having a very precise
function. You will find houses, stables,
sheepfolds, barns, grain lofts, silkworm
factories and bakehouses, vat houses
and tanning mills, henhouses, pig sties
and goat shelters. The existence of
this village shows that, outside of
just a sporadic use of a borie, as
a temporary dwilling, for example,
or for agricultural purposes, there
was a whole social and economic system
built around and based on these dwellings
of former times.
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| © texte : Sandrine Moirenc © photos:
François Lochon - Gamma |
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