Discover
4 kilometres from the village of Gordes, on the slopes of the Vaucluse Mountains, facing the Luberon, the village of Bories (curious constructions made from dry stones), built at the beginning of the 17th century is evidence of the exceptional quality of the ancestral art of building and know-how in the stacking of stones, that has since disappeared.
In the struggle to find new land for farming during the 17th and 18th centuries, the thousands of tons of stones extracted from the ground to make room for crops changed the face of the countryside with the appearance of clapas (piles of stones extracted from the ground), walls, enclosures, restanques or terraces, and stone cabins.
There are nearly 400 bories around Gordes, located mainly on the hillsides. Secluded or forming small hamlets, they were used as shelters for shepherds or farmers and even as temporary living quarters often far from the village.
In these areas where nature has reclaimed its rights and that are now deserted, try to imagine a life completely devoted to farming.
A National Heritage Site since 1977, it was awarded the prestigious Medal of the French Academy of Architecture for its restoration.
For more information : levillagedesbories.com
