Be prepared to visit the vernacular heritage in Cognac landscapes in this article, extracted from the work “the landscapes of Cognac” realized under the direction of Gilles Bernard and Michel Guillard.

Wash houses, fountains, wells, mills, pigeon houses…, these modest buildings are the witness of the life of our ancestors, traces that inform about the daily life and the quality of the social fabric of the past.


Copyright BNIC / Stephane CHARBEAU

Their use is functional, but their utilitarian vocation did not exclude an originality and aesthetic aim. They were built using local resources and know-how handed down from generation to generation. This vernacular heritage reinforces the identity of a territory and is an integral part of the landscape of our terroirs.

THE FOUNTAINS

Before water arrived in each house, it was necessary to go to the well or to the fountain to get water. Sometimes simple stones from which the water flows, sometimes more sophisticated with several stone basins and a stone trough to collect the water. The fountains had one or two horizontal crossbars under the jet to put the bucket. Often located in the middle of the village, they have become a key factor in beautification.

THE WELLS

It is most often a deep hole dug by man to draw water from the groundwater. In most cases, it is a circular masonry construction. Often a superstructure in ironwork allows a pulley and its rope to be suspended to lower a bucket. The wells are often private, but in some villages the inhabitants agreed to build a common well on the public road.

Various shapes can decorate the wells, as this one in Arvert, dating from the 18th century. Its lantern-topped dome is supported by four columns.

Within the Cognac region, how enchanting are the mill, pigeon house, and wash houses? Stay tuned for our next article, we shall unravel more about Cognac region.