The clède and trincat

Marker 11The clède (a small building for drying chestnuts) made it possible to preserve chestnuts by drying them and thus protecting them from mould and parasites. The chestnuts were poured through an opening in the back gable onto a latticed wood floor. Underneath, on the ground level, was a covered fire giving off heat and smoke. The “path” cut into the rock uphill of the buildings is in fact a water channel. Cutting across the steep slope, it captures runoff rainwater and diverts it, thus protecting the buildings below. Such trincats are also sometimes used as paths by humans and animals.