Cabane en pierre sèche
MonumentHidden Treasure
Cabane en pierre sèche, located in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil (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
- Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.9380, 1.0766
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00083091
A rare rectangular dry-stone hut with a slate roof, set against a monumental 48-metre retaining wall, with its large medieval tier-point bay at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac.
History
In the heart of the Périgord Noir, in the commune of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, this dry-stone hut immediately stands out for its exceptional character: where local tradition favours round or square constructions, it is resolutely rectangular, thirteen metres long, a singularity that justified its listing as a Historic Monument in 1991. The building is part of a coherent, skilfully-organised whole: set against an imposing forty-eight metre retaining wall, it forms the northern boundary of a carefully landscaped agricultural terrace, which is itself protected by a low wall to the south, while a second terrace cascades down from the first. This tiered layout betrays the mastery of slope management that has characterised Périgord farmers for centuries. The main facade features a striking architectural detail: a large pointed-arched bay, a visual signature of rural Gothic style, which was partly destroyed during a late alteration, leaving only a rectangular doorway topped by a monolithic corbelled lintel. This dialogue between the original opening and the later transformation gives the hut a precious historical legibility, like a stone palimpsest. To visit this monument is to immerse yourself in the world of Périgord vernacular heritage, often overshadowed by the castles and prehistoric caves of the Vézère valley. There's no ostentation here, just remarkably intelligent construction: the dry assembly of local limestone rubble, the static balance of the slate roofing, the discreet robustness of a building that has survived the centuries without mortar. A monument in its own right, modest in appearance but immense in what it says about ancestral know-how.
Architecture
The hut has a rectangular floor plan measuring thirteen metres in length, which is unusually long for this type of construction in the Périgord, where square or circular structures predominate. The walls are built in dry stone, i.e. without the use of mortar: the local limestone rubble, carefully selected and adjusted, is fitted together in an empirical arrangement handed down from generation to generation, where gravity and friction alone ensure the cohesion of the whole. The roof is made of "lauzes" - thin limestone slabs laid in rows one above the other like scales - with a slight slope to allow rainwater to run off while providing excellent natural thermal insulation. The most striking architectural feature is the large, pointed-arched bay that pierces the main façade. This arch, characteristic of medieval Gothic vocabulary, gives the hut an architectural dignity that is unusual for a rural building. The two tiers-point arches intersect to form an angle whose centre is a third of the width of the base, producing a slender ogive. The subsequent modification of this opening - partially closed off to leave only a rectangular doorway with a monolithic corbelled lintel - provides a stratified reading of the building's history. The building forms part of a landscaped complex structured by a forty-eight metre long retaining wall, which forms the northern boundary of a first agricultural terrace, itself completed by a low wall to the south and a second terrace below. This terraced layout, built entirely of dry stone, demonstrates technical mastery and a deep understanding of the topography of the Périgord region.
Related Figures
Paysans médiévaux périgordins bâtisseurs anonymes de la cabane et du mur de soutènementMaîtres maçons ruraux transmetteurs du savoir-faire de la pierre sèche en PérigordInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier d'inscription en 1991
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cabane en pierre sèche located?
Cabane en pierre sèche is located in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Cabane en pierre sèche built?
Cabane en pierre sèche dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Cabane en pierre sèche open to visitors?
Cabane en pierre sèche is currently closed to visitors.