Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Pivaut cooler, officially the Gaudin cooler, is a semi-entered building located in the municipality of Mazaugues, in the Var. Built in the 1880s, it is 23 metres high and 17.60 metres in diameter, with a storage capacity of 3,100 m3 of ice. Its sandstone structure is surmounted by a dome vault, and its stone frame converges towards a carved central spike. Despite its ambition, it was only exploited for a few years, made obsolete by the technological advances of the time.

Three pools totalling 5,000 m2 were built behind the cooler to produce ice in winter. Each basin, with a capacity of about 750 m3, was separated by earth stops and stone blocks. The water, frozen thanks to a slight inclination and shade of oaks, required between two and four cycles of frost to fill the cooler. These developments, including service paths and support walls, have been protected since 1993 under Historic Monuments.

Representing the ice fields of the Holy Baume, this construction illustrates the techniques of ice conservation before the industrial era. Although its use period was brief, its architecture and hydraulic system bear witness to the ingenuity of pre-industrial methods. The cooler and its basins, owned by the Var department, are classified for their heritage and technical value.

External links