The Bories of the Vaucluse, France

Dry Stone Dwellings for Shepherds are now Protected Monuments

Apr 3, 2009 Heidi Brand

Huge piles of limestone, amassed by thirteenth century shepherds, peasants and farmers when they cleared the fields around the region of Gordes were used to build bories.

The first free standing buildings, bories, are built entirely from stone. No wooden beams – everything is stone in these uniquely shaped structures, from the cupboards and shelves to the benches and bread ovens.

Building a Borie

A highly labour intensive process, the flat slabs of limestone are laid in such a way that each layer over hangs the previous one. Tilted at an angle so that rain water runs off; the top of each structure is secured with a larger slab.

With walls up to 1.5 meters thick at the base and a roof constructed using a technique known as 'false corbel vaulting,' the temperature inside remains relatively constant through the seasons. Fire and insect resistant the bories made ideal dwellings for the shepherds, their families and their animals.

Preserved Buildings in a Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Curving pyramids and cones, some with rounded tops, some with rectangular or square bases; the bories are enduring examples of the ancient art of dry stone construction that has been passed down through the generations, adopted still by the dry stone craftsmen of today.

Bories are protected, listed buildings, a truly traditional symbol of French life – recently appearing on a set of postage stamps, writing paper and other products available from the post office, or 'La Poste.'

There are many references to the borie in hotel and restaurant names around the Gordes area. The traditional family-run restaurant, La Flambeé, in the village of Bonnieux has borie models on show and these fascinating structures feature greatly in the festive displays that are exhibited in public places over the Christmas period.

The Luberon National Park, or ' parc naturel regional du Luberon,' uses the borie as its emblem and has itemised no less than 1,610 of these dry stone structures in the 11 districts of the Vaucluse.

Restored Borie Village and Museum

Most of the bories dotted around the fields, vineyards and gardens throughout the Vaucluse are unused, but some are still in service as wells or utilised for storage.

Just outside the village of Gordes is the village of the bories, or ' Le village des Bories ,' a dry stone village and museum.

Restored between 1969 and 1976 the village looks as it did when the last inhabitants abandoned it over 150 years ago. Classified as a Historical Monument by the French Government in 1977, it includes an impressive collection of archive documents charting the demographic evolution of the Vaucluse between 1597 and 1977. The old papers, displayed in the 18th century house that stands at the entrance to the village, include inhabitant numbers, occupations and monetary values (in francs naturally) between 1801 and 1903.

Bories are Found in Countless Locations Around Europe and the World

The Vaucluse isn't the only region of France where these quirky structures can be found. Bories in the Alpes Maritimes in South Eastern France date back to 600BC and near Saint-André-d'allas in the Dordogne there is a restored village, workshop and museum, ' les Cabanes du Breuil,' incorporating stone structures dating back to the 19th century.

Outside France, prehistoric dry stone structures, also known as Brochs, Trullis, Cabanes, Cleits and Giren are scattered throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

But wherever you spot them, the patience and dexterity of the skilled craftsmen who created these buildings lives on in the enigma that surrounds these unusual dwellings, while more modern structures have long since decayed.

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Borie dwelling at the cultivated terraces, Goult	Borie nestled in the undergrowth outside Goult	Stone steps leading to storage area, borie village
Cone shaped dry stone borie