Art & History - Ornamentation and materials

Geology has let deep traces in our landscapes and buildings: limestone and basalt are the main resources of the territory. 

FROM CARVED STONES TO ROUGH-STONES

Originating from the marine sediments in the Miocene, the limestone was excavated in many quarries. Easy to carve, it enabled to erect many carefully jointed buildings, sometimes with a sculpted decoration.
The viticultural expansion of the second half of the 19th century required the building of many wine cellars and of a multitude of wine growers' houses; one preferred using the rough-stones for building and save the carved stones for the sculpted decorations and the window and door frames. 



 

THE LIME-KILNS

 
Taking advantage of the presence of basalt stone resisting to very high temperatures and of the abundant limestone, people built many lime-kilns near the basalt flow; the lime-kilns operators produced agricultural lime to amend the soils and limestone for building.
Lime was also one of the main ingredients of stucco and gypse. However, in the middle of the 19the century, the cement was invented and progressively the artificial bonds supplanted lime. Yet, in our region, some lime-kilns were still in use up to the middle of the 20th century.
Lime (chaux in French) gave La géologie a imprimé ses traces dans nos paysages et nos constructions : calcaire et basalte se partagent le territoire.

THE USE OF BASALT IN THE CONSTRUCTIONS

 
Hard to cut or carve, basalt was used in building construction but as rough-stone; basalt was also present in small walls and to build shepherds' shelters; in this case, it came from the stones taken away from cultivated parcels.
In the towns and villages, the cat's tongue pavements were used to pave the streets or the courtyards of stables. Basalt was sometimes mixed with pebbles to form multi-coloured decorations.

WOOD, IRON, PLASTER

As a rare and therefore expensive material, the use of wood was limited. In the 15th century, the ceilings had beams with mouldings and were sometimes painted: coats of arms, fantastic animals, scenes of everyday's life mixed. Wooden painted ceilings of the 17th century are still numerous. The entrance doors and their stone frames reflected, at this time, the social status of the owners.

Decorated with door knockers and the visible parts of key locks, the doors show all the talent of finish carpenters and locksmiths. A century later, the latter became masters in the decoration of balconies: curves, finials, flowers, pistils, golden leaves are evidences of a technical mastery in Pézenas that was rare in Languedoc. Less visible, the plaster, stucco and gypse decors ornated the rooms that had become more intimate: trophies, moulded ceilings, decorated mantelpieces grew in number.