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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Oval Barn of La Roche-Picout, located in Payzac, Dordogne, is an emblematic example of the local oval barns, often called escura-bossa (stable barn and carthouse). These buildings, usually dated from the mid-18th century, were widespread in the early 19th century, as attested to by the Napoleonic cadastre, which recorded about 220 in Payzac. Today, less than ten remain. Their architectural peculiarity lies in their oval shape and roof, originally in rye stubble, carried not by the walls but by a chestnut frame and pillars.

The barn of La Roche-Picout is distinguished by its dry stone structure and its current roof in a cell, replacing the original thatch, too expensive to restore (2 to 300 €/m2). Inside, it preserves developments for livestock, like cornades, and includes a cellar, a rarity for this type of building. The oak door, redone in 2019 in the same way according to a complex system, bears witness to a preserved craftsmanship. The whole was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 16 August 2023.

These oval barns played a central role in the local agricultural economy, serving both as a stable, as a storage for crops and as a shelter for tools. Their decline is due to the evolution of agricultural practices and the prohibitive cost of maintaining them, particularly for the roofing of stubble. The barn of La Roche-Picout, with its specific features (cave, preserved structure), offers a valuable testimony of this threatened rural heritage.

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