The Inhabitants of La Garde Guérin
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The Inhabitants of La Garde Guérin |
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The population of the village, a hamlet of the municipality of Prévenchères, has varied greatly over the centuries. There were 111 inhabitants in 1789; 158 in 1846; 84 in 1936; and 12 in 1980. The school that welcomed 35 students in 1930 had to close in 1963, as there were only 3 left. In 1880, two schools were opened in La Garde, a private school and a public school.
Today, 15 inhabitants live there year-round, most of whom are retirees. During the summer months, if counting those who stay at the Auberge Régordane, the population is larger, around a hundred people.
Since 1972, many houses have been restored—or are in the process of being restored—by families who have lived there for generations or by people who have purchased homes there.
One of the main resources of the village's inhabitants has long been the chestnut. The lands were cultivated up to the banks of the Chassezac; chestnut trees were also planted in the most sheltered parts of the plateau, as well as on the slopes of the Pourcharesses side. On the slopes of the gorges, there are chestnut groves established on small terraced gardens, called "accols," supported by dry stone walls built by local men. These "accols" were irrigated by channels bringing water from the Chassezac.
All families owned one or more chestnut dryers, called "Clèdes," on a slope of the gorges or in the village. As the population decreased, the more distant and especially the less mechanizable lands were abandoned.
Livestock still represents another resource for the village today. Between 1950 and 1960, there were 1,000 sheep, 50 cows, 100 goats, 1 or 2 pigs, and poultry in each house (about twenty); not to mention the draft animal, most often a mule, sometimes a horse or a donkey. A communal shepherd tended the flock and was fed in turn by each owner, depending on the number of animals or "days" he had in the herd.
A fair was held in La Garde-Guerin on Saint Michael's Day, September 29, since the 14th century. The last one took place in September 1938. This fair was intended for the "log of shepherds." On this day, shepherds from all over the neighborhood found work, as did the chestnut gatherers and those who went to clean the chestnut groves. The elders speak of it as a festive event. The Pré de la Foire hosted all kinds of merchants and fairgoers who, because of the slowness and rarity of transportation at the time, arrived in the village two or three days in advance and stayed with the locals.
The villagers lived in autarky. They had their vegetable garden, and the meat consumed was from the animals they raised: pigs and poultry. Potatoes, the staple food alongside chestnuts, were cultivated in fields. Bread was baked in the "banal" oven or village oven. Each family had its turn. This practice continued until 1966. It was a bread made from local cereals (wheat and rye), harvested and brought to the mill.
All of this explains how people managed, not without difficulty, to feed large families (from 6 to 16 children). They bought coffee, wine, oil for salad; lard was used as a fat for cooking. Today, the economy relies mainly on sheep and rye. This is practically the only crop at present, and it is intended for animal feed. A fragile economy that two breeders maintain with determination for the well-being and life of the village throughout the year.
For about twenty years now, a hotel restaurant, the Hôtel Régordane, has successfully welcomed locals and visitors during the beautiful season. You will also find an exhibition of painting, engraving, textile creation, form, and color at the workshop of the old school of La Garde-Guérin run by Mr. and Mrs. Thibeaux.
Inherited from a prestigious heritage, La Garde-Guérin sees several thousand visitors each year, impressed by the beauty and grandeur of the site. May this village continue to live and welcome all who pass through one of these high places whose history holds secrets! Due to its geology, the supply of drinking water to this site has always been problematic: the thin superficial layer of Triassic sandstone does not allow for a sufficient reserve and projection of water in contact with the underlying granite.
Within the confines of La Garde-Guérin, wells were therefore polluted, especially in summer. At this season or in the event of a siege, the castle’s cistern, dug deep into the rock, took over. A precious resource in the Middle Ages, rainwater was subject to a right that the lords acquired for payment. Away from the village, fountains were of great importance because of the flow and quality of their water until the establishment of drinking water supply in 1938.
In the 12th century, in the rugged and wild landscapes of the Occitanie region, the fortified village of La Garde-Guérin stood proudly on the banks of the Chassezac. This strategic location was traversed by the Chemin de Régordane (GR700), an essential communication route linking the Massif Central to the Mediterranean. Imagine the banks of the Chassezac, the stone ramparts, and the shepherds going about their daily tasks.
These shepherds, men and women, were recurring characters in medieval literature. They watched over their flocks of sheep, guiding the animals along the rocky and verdant paths. Their days were marked by the tinkling of bells and the soft bleating of lambs.
The Chemin de Régordane was much more than just a pastoral route. It was the vital link between Auvergne, Velay, Languedoc, and the Mediterranean. The shepherds of La Garde-Guérin played a crucial role in the safety of travelers and goods using this road. They were the guardians of the Régordane, protecting the caravans loaded with precious goods, colorful fabrics, and exotic spices.
Each shepherd was linked to a parérie, a portion of the path they maintained with care. They collected tolls, measurement fees (grain measurement), and even dust fees raised by the herds. These shepherd knights, called los Parièrs, swore allegiance to the Bishop of Mende and formed a solid economic and military community.
The fortified village of La Garde, or castrum de La Garde, was their border post. They kept watch day and night, scanning the horizon for any danger. Their names echoed in the winds of the Chassezac: the Gaucelmes, the Hérail, the Bertrand, and the Gaules. Each clan had its share of responsibility, its parérie to protect.
And so, in the heart of the Middle Ages, the shepherds of La Garde-Guérin wove connections between the mountains and the sea, between the stars and the flocks. Their stories intertwined with those of travelers, merchants, and troubadours. And when the sun set behind the ramparts, they gathered around the fire, sharing their legends and dreams, guardians of a world in motion. Even today, the stones of La Garde-Guérin carry the echoes of their footsteps, and the shepherds of the past watch over our memories, like stars in the medieval night.
Former holiday hotel with a garden along the Allier, L'Etoile Guest House is located in La Bastide-Puylaurent between Lozere, Ardeche, and the Cevennes in the mountains of Southern France. At the crossroads of GR®7, GR®70 Stevenson Path, GR®72, GR®700 Regordane Way, GR®470 Allier River springs and gorges, GRP® Cevenol, Ardechoise Mountains, Margeride. Numerous loop trails for hiking and one-day biking excursions. Ideal for a relaxing and hiking getaway.
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