The image shows a historic date inscription on a door lintel. It is one of several curious dated inscriptions we have at Peyroulat. As you can see, the decorative door lintel in sandstone is becoming rather weathered after 300 years.
Date inscriptions typically celebrate the erection of a building or a significant addition. This is the earliest date we have found, and it seems a fitting starting point to tell the story of our house and its heritage (patrimonie).
When we took on the decrepit – but promising – pile of stones, the roof had completely collapsed in and this little two-storey building (like much of the property) was in a ruinous state.
Peering through the chopsticks-style knitting needles of old beams, we could see that upstairs had been some kind of agricultural storage – a grain store or hay loft – because there was a hoist. While the second floor was used for animal feed storage, we believe that downstairs was human living accommodation.
Time travel to the early 18th century
What was happening in 1711 in France and this part of the world?
Our hamlet in 1711 was part of “Le Béarn”. The Bearn was once an independent state with its own laws (fors) and the official language was Béarnaise, a dialect of Occitan. Le Béarn became integrated into the Kingdom of France in 1620.
The Bearn of the early 18th century was agricultural and far from Paris. To give you an idea: Peyroulat is about 700 kilometres from the capital of France. Back then, if you travelled 30 kilometres per day on horseback, it would take you more than 23 days.
Far from Versailles
There is so much to say about the radical and transformational forces that shaped 18th century European history: from the Glorious Revolution in England of 1688 to the Spanish Wars of Succession (1701-1714) and the many later revolutionary events. At the time of the inscription, this was also the epoch of Bach and Handel, and the adventurers’ favourites: Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.
In France, this was the time of Louis XIV (1643-1715) “The Sun King”, the longest reigning monarch in history. While the earlier Peyroulat residents were marking their own architectural achievements on the sandstone door lintel, at least 23 days away, Louis XIV had undertaken the ambitious transformation of a hunting lodge into the magnificent Palace of Versailles. A building now synonymous with his reign and a belief in the divine right of kings; this sumptuous palace continues to bewitch today.
What a contrast Versailles is to our own inscription’s story, but behind both lie the universal achievements and values of human fortitude and ingenuity!
As the guardians of a property like this, we pay our respects to the previous owners of the land.
Copyright © 2025, Peyroulat.com. All Rights Reserved. All the original written content on this site is copyrighted and belongs to the writer and publisher. Content cannot be reproduced in any form without the express permission in writing of the author and publisher.