Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts
MonumentHidden Treasure
Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts, located in Vitrac (Dordogne), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Vitrac, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8326, 1.2113
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00083097
A jewel of Périgord vernacular architecture, this dry-stone hut at Mazers Hauts stands eight metres high - an absolute record for this type of building in Périgord.
History
Perched on a modest terrace in Vitrac, in the heart of the Périgord Noir, the Mazers Hauts dry-stone hut is much more than a simple farm shelter: it is the most spectacular example of a centuries-old building tradition that still shapes the rural landscapes of the Dordogne today. Measuring eight metres from the ground to the top of the conical vault, it is officially recognised as the highest dry-stone hut in the Périgord, a distinction that has earned it its place on the Monuments Historiques list since 1991. The first thing that strikes visitors is the absolute sobriety of the building. No superfluous ornamentation, no visible mortar: each stone is dry-laid, held together by the sheer mechanical logic of stacking and balancing. The squared rubble of the load-bearing walls, assembled with almost surgical precision, testifies to the exceptional skill of the anonymous builders who erected these structures. The square plan, unusual for this type of building, which is often circular in shape, gives the hut a distinctive silhouette that is immediately recognisable in the landscape. The experience of visiting is intimate and silent. You approach via a narrow path lined with vegetation, and the hut suddenly appears, massive in its rusticity. The south-east-facing door, surmounted by a chestnut lintel protected by a projecting flat stone, invites you to enter a cool, shady interior space, even in midsummer. Inside, the conical vault rises and gradually narrows, forming a stone funnel that catches the diffuse light coming from the entrance. It's easy to see why people found refuge here during the troubled years of the Second World War. Around the hut, the Vitrac landscape unfurls the rolling horizons characteristic of the Dordogne valley: vineyards, walnut trees, pale limestone peeking through the grass. The proximity of the river and its meanders makes this area one of the finest visual terroirs in Périgord. The hut fits naturally into this environment, as if it had always belonged here.
Architecture
The Mazers Hauts hut is built on a square plan, a less common choice than the circular shape usually adopted for corbelled constructions, but one that gives the building a particular presence and stability. The load-bearing walls, made of squared rubble carefully selected from the local limestone, rise vertically to a height of around two and a half metres, at which point the conical corbelled roof begins. This technique involves progressively advancing each course of stone inwards, reducing the diameter of the opening until it is completely closed at the top, without ever using mortar or any binding agent. The door, on the south-east façade to benefit from the best light exposure, is framed by ashlar jambs whose blocks project slightly inwards, creating a natural stop for the wooden leaf. The horizontal lintel is made of chestnut, a species renowned for its natural resistance to damp and insects; it is itself protected by a flat, projecting stone, forming an effective drip edge to keep out run-off water. These construction details reveal a remarkable technical mastery and a concern for durability, which explains the excellent conservation of the building. The entire structure was built in dry stone, i.e. without mortar or binders of any kind: its solidity was ensured by the sheer mechanical logic of stacking, with the weight of the upper courses compressing the lower ones. The total height of eight metres, from the ground to the top of the conical vault, is an exceptional architectural achievement for this type of construction and fully justifies the title of highest dry-stone hut in the Périgord.
Related Figures
Bâtisseurs anonymes périgourdins du XIXe siècle, maîtres de la pierre sècheHabitants de la ferme des Mazers Hauts ayant occupé la cabane durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale (1940-1945)Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1991
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts located?
Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts is located in Vitrac, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts built?
Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts open to visitors?
Cabane en pierre sèche des Mazers Hauts is currently closed to visitors.