Bories is a former hamlet of dry‑stone houses located near Gordes in Provence, in an area where this type of construction was characteristic of the rural landscape for centuries. The word borie refers to a traditional stone building constructed from local limestone without the use of mortar. It represents an architectural technique widespread especially around Apt, where farmers used the excess stone removed from their fields to build shelters, storage huts and temporary dwellings.
Architecture and Construction Method
The bories are built from flat limestone slabs laid in concentric circles or ellipses, with the walls gradually closing toward the top. This technique, known as corbelling, creates a domed roof without any wooden support structures. The houses are small, low and extremely solid, providing stability and excellent thermal insulation. Their interiors are simple, often consisting of just one room used for storing tools, crops, oil, or as shelter for shepherds and field workers.
Historical Development
Although dry‑stone construction in Provence dates back to prehistoric times, most of the preserved bories in Gordes originate from the period between the 17th and 19th centuries. This was a time when agriculture expanded onto stony, difficult‑to‑cultivate land, resulting in large quantities of excavated stone. Farmers used it to build terraces, walls and bories, which became a distinctive element of the Provençal cultural landscape.
The hamlet of Bories was once part of a broader agrarian community, but due to changes in agriculture and the abandonment of traditional farming methods in the 20th century, it gradually fell into decay. Many structures were partially collapsed, overgrown or abandoned.
Restoration and Museum Development
In the 1950s and 1960s efforts began to preserve the hamlet. Systematic restoration took place over several years, using exclusively traditional dry‑stone techniques without modern materials. In 1977 the hamlet of Bories was officially declared a historical monument of France, confirming its exceptional cultural, architectural and ethnological value and ensuring its preservation for future generations.
author: Boštjan Burger