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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Colligis quarry, located in the commune of Colligis-Crandelain (département de l'Aisne, région Hauts-de-France), is a vast underground farm whose activity is attested from the middle of the sixteenth century. Died under the hills between the Ailette and the Ardon, its galleries extended for several kilometres, used to extract stone used in particular for Merovingian sarcophagi. The working conditions were difficult, with the risk of frequent collapse and sometimes misleading workers.

Over the centuries, the career has been a refuge for major conflicts. During the Wars of Religion, the peasants sheltered there at the siege of Laon by Henry IV. In 1814, after Soissons was taken by the Coalisés, nearly 10,000 people and 7,000 to 8,000 animals took refuge there for 35 days to escape the violence of the Prussians and Cossacks. These civilian occupations left many graffiti, alongside rock tracks dating from the 16th to 19th centuries.

During World War I, the quarry was used by the Germans, who left 137 inscriptions, including a carved coat of arms and patronymic graffiti. After the conflict, the site was reopened as a fungus, partially erasing German developments. The graffiti, both before and after 1914-1918, testify to its continued use by the carriagemen and refugees. The quarry was listed as historic monuments on January 26, 2000, for its heritage and memorial value.

Today, the site preserves hundreds of historical graffiti, reflecting its economic importance (stone extraction, mushroom cultivation), military (refuge and occupation) and social (place of collective memory). Its inscription as a historic monument underscores its role in local and national history, especially for periods of crisis and conflict.

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