Lauze is the hallmark of roofs in the Périgord Noir, but it's use is sadly in decline in the region. Only a few lauze roofers continue to practice this remarkable craft. Olivier Souriat is one of them. He mainly works on roofs with vernacular heritage, restoring these traditional roofs to their former beauty.
The lauze of the Périgord Noir
Several regions in France have traditional roofs made of stone known as lave, plantin or lauze. They can be made of either shale or sandstone. In the Dordogne, lauze is extracted from limestone quarries. Today, these quarries are closed, and slabs of lauze can only be extracted with special permission from the government. Thus, the lauziers of the Dordogne mainly work with old lauze stones, which makes the job even more complicated. Souriat, on the right of the photo, adores the vernacular heritage of his region. He is a master of the crafts of carpentry and stonemasonry, but remains fascinated by working with lauze, "These pieces of petrified beach debris that are hoisted up onto roofs have an unmistakable marine smell that's more than 15 million years old!" Jean-Loup Molinier, on the left in the photo, taught him this rare expertise
Les pierres de lauze tailléesFondation du patrimoine
The first task of the lauzier, and probably the most delicate one, is to cut the limestone slabs in order to raise and shape the lauze stones enough to cover the roofs.
All this stone weighs a heavy 143 pounds per square foot (700 kg per m²) on the roofs and is cut into slabs from blocks of about 88 pounds (40 kg) each.
The equipment for the job hasn't changed much over the last 200 years: a hammer forged especially for lauziers.
The sound produced by the hammer when it hits the stone helps the lauziers find the best place to break it.
The aim is to cut the lauzes as finely as possible so that they fit together.
Olivier Souriat construisant un toit de lauzeFondation du patrimoine
Olivier Souriat also takes care of pinning or restoring the chestnut wood laths that the lauzes are laid between.
They serve as support brackets and allow each lauze stone to be secured.
Olivier Souriat construisant un toit de lauzeFondation du patrimoine
The work is carried out by laying successive horizontal rows of lauzes so the load of the stones is evenly distributed on the frame.
This work is time consuming and tedious: a lauzier lays about 11 square feet (1 m²) of lauze per day.
Toit de lauze du four à pain du château de Commarque restauré par Olivier SouriatFondation du patrimoine
Souriat has worked with Molinier on all sorts of monuments in the Périgord Noir. An example of this intricate work is the oven in the oven house inside the compound of Château de Commarque.
Four à pain de Saint-Aubin restauré par Olivier SouriatFondation du patrimoine
The bread oven of Saint-Aubin-de-Nabirat is another stunning example of the restorations carried out by Souriat in the Dordogne.
Saint-Amand-de-Coly and the Maison des moines
Saint-Amand-de-Coly is a charming little village situated in the middle of the Périgord Noir, in the east of the Dordogne. Its beauty has even earned it the label of one of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France." It takes its name from the abbey that dominated its history until the eighteenth century.
Mairie de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
As is the tradition for the region, the most prestigious monuments of the commune are covered with lauze roofs.
The same goes for the local town hall.
Abbaye de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
The roof of the abbey church, currently being restored, is also crafted from lauze slates.
Maison des moines de Saint-Amand-de-Coly avec son toit en lauzeFondation du patrimoine
The Maison des moines, or balcony house, was once home to monks and is one of the major monuments in the region that featured a lauze tile roof until 2008.
Unfortunately, the frame could no longer support the weight of the stones, which had to be removed in 2015, to prevent the roof from collapsing down into the street.
Maison des moines de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
Its owners, The Clément family, had a tin roof installed to protect the listed house from the various leaks it had been suffering from for years.
A great deal of restoration work is required to protect this culturally significant house and to open it to the public.
Balcon de la maison des moines de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
The main feature of the house is the balcony, which also needs to be restored.
Charpente de la maison des moines de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
The old frame will be conserved and reinforced. However, it won't be completely covered with stones, as it is too fragile. The upper parts will be made of flat tiles, also typical of the region, while the borders will again be adorned with lauze stones.
Lauzes de la Maison des moines de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
These lauze stones will be selected from the ones from the old roof of the house, which have been kept by the owners
This restoration project should be finished in 2021. It was supported by Mission Bern in 2019.
Maisons de l'abbaye de Saint-Amand-de-ColyFondation du patrimoine
Mrs. Clément, originally from the town, and her husband want to bring to life the heritage of Saint-Amand-de-Coly.
They have already restored three houses in the village.
Cap Sud Ouest: Périgord, terre de savoir-faire by VidéoFondation du patrimoine
Watch the video about the work of a lauze roofer in the Dordogne.
Many thanks to the Clément family and to Olivier Souriat for their invaluable help in writing this content.
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