Feuillardier

The trade of feuillardier was practiced in the Limousin and in the North of the Dordogne.

Feuillardier

They were concentrated mainly on the cantons of Châlus and Saint-Yrieix-the-Pole (High-Vienna). In 1906 their number reached 1280 individuals. This figure was stabilized around 800 until the beginning of the second world war.

The feuillardier settled in forest to work with the exploitation of coppice (starts-up) of chestnuts. He cut down with the axe of the bars of chestnut which then branchless with the bill hook and were piled up with regular intervals.

On the site of his building site, the feuillardier built a hut (also called cabin) whose frame was made bars of wood interlaced and curved in half-circle. The cover was made long shavings. This hut was used to him to take its meals, to shelter rain and more rarely, to sleep when the building site was very distant from its residence.

Exerted mainly during the winter months, this difficult activity was little developing. The feuillardiers gathered since 1905 in a trade union and several strike movements were organized in 1908,1912,1934 and 1936. These social movements had as a consequence a light revalorization of the tariffs.

Additional trades

The feuillardier practices the Vannerie and is also Bucheron and cerclier (main activity). Cerclier The conservation of the wine in barrels gave rise to many trades. The feuillardiers manufactured inter alia circles out of slats of chestnuts to surround the barrels. This trade, undoubtedly former, is mentioned in 1590 in Charente (A.D. Charente J 1154) in the forests in limit of Charente and of the Dordogne This is why these men are known under the name of cerclier. The stems of chestnuts split are worked in circle in a bending machine (sometimes by a different craftsman which has this tool). The circles are placed in a mould according to their diameter then put out of grinding stone of twenty four circles. The Masters of Cognac wine storehouses take delivery of the grinding stones.

Culinary speciality

It is also a culinary speciality of Éguzon (Indre) been useful serves some at the time of the annual festival of Sweet chestnut. It is a pastry making made up of laminated lined of a fool sweet chestnut. The feuillardier is also an aperitif containing white wine and sweet chestnut liquor

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