Bell-tower of storm

The bell-tower of storm is a particularly widespread construction lozérienne in the Hameau X located on the Mont Lozere. It is about a simple work of masonry in Granite, prevalent rock in this solid mass, supporting a bell and often surmounted of a cross. Built at the beginning of the 19th century by the inhabitants of these hamlets, the primitive role of these Clocher S is to make it possible to the travellers not to be mislaid and to perish, so of adventure they were found taken in “the storm”. This term indicates frightening a Intempérie which is born in altitude during the hard winters, when snowfalls and gusts of wind violent one are combined. As soon as the storm but also per time of Brouillard prevailed, the bells were then actuated, sometimes night and day, thus providing a sound reference mark to the travellers, a little to the manner of a Phare, so that they can be directed towards the dwellings.

Established in the middle of the hamlets, the bell-towers of storm in rythment the life and their role extends until replacing the church of which they are deprived, contrary to the Village S of more important sizes. Are used they then to sound the Angélus or to mark events like the births and the deaths. The local belief goes even until their lending protective virtues, like that to push back the Orage S towards the close villages.

The transportation routes being fundamentally improved since the 19th century, the bells do not sound from now on any more when reign the storm. However, it happens that the latter still makes victims. Most famous in the country are the Dupeyron sisters, two teachers who found in January 1941 death after having lost their way near the hamlet of Vaissière located on the common of the Bondons. And more recently, during the winter 1984, they is two monks skiers, taken in the storm, who left the life there.

Several of these bell-towers of storm were classified historic buildings: on the commune of Saint-Julien-of-Tournel the, those of Sagnes, of Oultet and Auriac, that of Been used on the commune of Farmhouse-in Orcières and that of the hamlet of Fage on the commune as Saint-Etienne-of-Valdonnez the.

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