Habitations troglodytes de Latresne

In the 19th century, the exploitation of limestone developed. In 1848, within a radius of 50 km around Bordeaux, there were 583 quarries in operation. The stone was transported by ox teams to the nearest ports. Flat-bottomed sailing boats loaded the stones on the sloping "cales" on the banks and, with the help of the tides, brought them to the quays of the Chartrons, the Port de la Grave or the Place Royale (now the Place de la Bourse), where they were sold.
From the twentieth century, the activity has slowed down significantly. If some quarries were reused as mushroom beds, most were abandoned. In Latresne, the underground is in fact full of galleries. Here at La Seleyre, as in many other places along the hillsides, man has recycled these galleries to live in them or use them as storage places.