Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut
MonumentHidden Treasure
Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut, located in Daglan (Dordogne), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Daglan, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7439, 1.1783
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00083089
A discreet stone sentinel in the vineyards of the Périgord Noir, the Mazut hut reveals a rare level of sophistication in rural art: a fireplace, cistern and bench carved into the dry rock.
History
In the heart of the Périgord Noir, between Daglan and its wooded valleys, the Mazut dry-stone hut is a striking testimony to the vernacular intelligence of Périgord farmers. Far from the rustic shepherd's hut one might expect, this small rectangular building conceals an interior layout of astonishing meticulousness, revealing the care with which the winegrowers of yesteryear organised their working days among the vines. What really sets the Cabane du Mazut apart from other similar buildings in the département is the remarkable quality of its interior fittings. A fireplace carved out of the local limestone provided warmth on cold winter days or a place to prepare a frugal meal. A cistern, cleverly designed to collect rainwater, ensured that the plot was self-sufficient in water. Lastly, a two-tiered stone bench - a real piece of lapidary furniture - provided rest for the winegrowers after hours of hard work in the rows. Visiting the Mazut hut is like taking a break from time in a farming landscape that has hardly changed for two centuries. Leaning against a dry stone wall on the north side - a natural protection against the prevailing winds - the building interacts with the surrounding landscape and vegetation with a discretion that contemporary architects struggle to achieve. The site lends itself particularly well to slow exploration, on foot, on a sunny afternoon. The setting is that of the deep Périgord Noir, a land of limestone limestone plateaux and truffle oaks, sculpted for centuries by vines before phylloxera ravaged the area at the end of the 19th century. This hut is the last standing reminder of a vanished farming world, and has been protected as a Historic Monument since 1991 - a recognition that underlines the importance of these modest architectural structures, which have been neglected for far too long.
Architecture
The Mazut hut is a perfect illustration of the principles of dry-stone construction as they developed in the Périgord limestone region: no mortar, no binders, just carefully selected and matched local limestone to ensure that the structure is solid and watertight. The technique, handed down from generation to generation, requires an intimate knowledge of the materials and a keen sense of structural balance. The building has a rectangular plan, a rare solution in this type of construction where the circular or ogee-shaped plan (known as a "beehive") dominates to facilitate corbelled roofing. The rectangular shape of the Mazut hut means that it has a two-slope roof, made of limestone lauzes - the slabs of local limestone cut into thin slabs that make up the traditional roofing of Périgord and Quercy. On the north side, the structure is supported by a long dry-stone wall that acts as a load-bearing wall, a windbreak and an enclosure for the plots of land. The interior reveals a sophistication that the sober exterior would not suggest. The chimney, carved out of the limestone mass, bears witness to remarkable technical mastery: ensuring proper smoke extraction in a building with low ceilings is a real challenge. The cistern, dug out or built into the ground, collected rainwater running off the roof. The two-tiered stone bench, an ingenious solution that served as permanent furniture, could accommodate several people in a sitting or reclining position - functioning both as a seat for meals and as a bed for a siesta.
Related Figures
Vignerons anonymes de Daglan (XIXe siècle) — bâtisseurs probables de la cabane, héritiers d'un savoir-faire multiséculaire en pierre sèchePropriétaires terriens du hameau du Mazut — familles paysannes du Périgord Noir qui exploitèrent la vigne sur cette parcelle jusqu'à la crise phylloxériqueInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques de la DRAC Aquitaine — responsables de l'inventaire et de la proposition d'inscription en 1991
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut located?
Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut is located in Daglan, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut built?
Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut open to visitors?
Cabane en pierre sèche du Mazut is currently closed to visitors.