Description
Long ago, during walks in the forests of my dear Périgord, I fell under the charm of these buildings with remarkable architecture. That’s why I decided to make them in miniature.
The huts of Périgord are ancient buildings with paired stones (rubble and slate) without mortar or cement. Hence the name “dry stone”. These huts are part of our Périgourdin heritage. Nowadays, we still encounter this kind of construction in about fifty departments. This is why they are found under different names: Cazelles, Bories, Gariottes, Capitelles, Cajolles, cadoles, or even huts or huts in Périgord.
Manufacturing steps
Step 1 : find the perfect location !
It all starts in the Causse of Black and white Périgord !
On these arid hillsides, where nothing grows, it is necessary to pick up these small flat stones, scales of limestone, which will make, once sorted, assembled and glued, the miniatures very similar, the real huts of the Périgord.
Step 2 : Pick the little stones
Once a deposit of these “nuggets” is found the harvest can begin.
Of course, each stone is unique and, depending on the usefulness, you have to look for different kinds. Walls or roofs, pedestals or lintels are not necessarily of the same type at the base. Although a more thorough sorting is done back to the workshop, a first selection is made on the spot.
Step 3 : cut the stones
After these “forest” trips and the second sorting of the Stones, it’s time to start. Sometimes the huts are placed on wooden plinths, especially when a light is to be inserted inside. Otherwise a stone pedestal will be preferred for aesthetic reasons, but a base stone is rarely flat and the work is complicated to make an upgrade. The stones for the walls are cut off and then it’s a puzzle game!
Step 4 : assembling small huts
Now that the stones are cut, you have to assemble them and look for the one that fits better. In this stage, the work is simplified compared to the builders of the time, by the size and weight of the stones manipulated. However it is sometimes long to find “the” good stone. A pincer shot can help…
Step 5 : the realization of the roof
Now the wall is over and it’s time to go to the roof. The stones used for the roof are different and they are not cut. These are “scales” slit by the gel, and they are collected as they are. The roof is composed of smaller and smaller concentric circles, until they are joined. It is a delicate part and, once again, let us have a thought for these builders who, you remember remember, worked without cement or mortar or any means of sealing.
Step 6 : the finishes of the little hut
A little moss around the walls finishes the dressing of this little shack. This model is presented with an elder bark to make the door. The base is wooden, but it can also be a flat stone.
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